According to Les Feldick, the true Gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day.
Les points to 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 as the standard, calling it the Gospel by which believers are saved. He says this Gospel is the finished work of the cross—not hell-fire preaching, not merely asking Jesus into your life, and not the Sermon on the Mount. When someone believes this message, Christ becomes their personal Savior.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — This is the passage Les repeats as the clearest statement of the true Gospel: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again.
Romans 1:16 — Paul calls this Gospel 'the power of God unto salvation,' a phrase Les cites when explaining the Gospel's saving power.
The Bible plainly defines the gospel by which believers are saved: 'Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures' (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Scripture also calls this message 'the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth' (Romans 1:16). And Paul writes that Christ died for all, 'that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again' (2 Corinthians 5:15). The biblical gospel centers on Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
Les Feldick teaches that the true Gospel is singular: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. He consistently grounds this in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 and calls it 'the finished work of the cross.' He also emphasizes that the shed blood is implied in Christ's death and cannot be left out. Les distinguishes this Gospel from other messages. It is not merely hell-fire preaching, not simply 'take Jesus into your life,' and not just believing that Jesus was Israel's Messiah.He says those responses properly follow once a person believes the Gospel, and then Jesus becomes his or her personal Savior. Les also teaches that this Gospel is not Jesus' earthly ministry; it is Paul's revealed message of Christ crucified and risen.
Les says the Gospel is 'that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again' (Clips 1, 5, 7). He points to 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 and calls it 'the purest form that you can find anywhere in the Scriptures' (Clip 5). He also says Paul always brings the complete picture of death, burial, and resurrection (Clip 3). The shed blood is implied in His death and cannot be left out (Clip 1).
Les explicitly says 'hell, fire, and brimstone preaching is not the Gospel' and 'telling people to come forward and take Jesus into your life is not the Gospel' (Clip 2). He also points out that the Jerusalem believers had only believed that Jesus was Israel's Messiah—they had not yet come to the full Gospel that He died for them and shed His blood (Clip 0). Additionally, he says you cannot be saved by the gospel of Jesus' earthly ministry; salvation is only by His death, burial, and resurrection (Clip 6).
Les teaches that when you believe the Gospel, 'who are you taking into your life? Jesus Christ. Absolutely you do. He becomes your personal Savior.' The 'take Jesus into your life' language is not the Gospel itself, but it is the result when someone believes that Christ died for them, was buried, and rose again (Clip 2). Paul says 'by this gospel that you are saved' (Clip 7), and the Gospel is 'the good news of your salvation' (Clip 1).
Les says Paul was the one who received the Gospel by revelation and delivered it 'first of all' (Clip 7). He points to 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 as the passage where Paul defines the Gospel, and he says 'all of Paul's writings now will be pregnant with this theme' (Clip 5). Les also says Paul always shows the complete picture of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection as 'our gospel' (Clip 3).
The Bible says the gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). It is 'the power of God unto salvation' (Romans 1:16). Christ died for all so that those who live should live for Him who died and rose again (2 Corinthians 5:15).
The True Gospel at Antioch
Gentile believers at Antioch were called Christians because they believed Jesus died for them and His blood was shed for their sin, unlike the Jerusalem believers who only believed He was Messiah.
The Gospel Defined from 1 Corinthians 15
The Gospel is that Christ was crucified, buried, and rose again, with the shed blood implied in His death—the finished work of the cross.
What the Gospel Is Not
Hell-fire preaching and telling people to take Jesus into their life are not the Gospel; the Gospel is Christ died, was buried, and rose again.
The Complete Picture in Paul's Writing
Paul consistently brings the complete picture of death, burial, and resurrection as the Gospel, as in 2 Corinthians 5:15.
One Gospel, Power of God Unto Salvation
There is only one Gospel—Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again—and it is the power of God unto salvation, not religious works.
The Purest Form of the Gospel
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 gives the purest form of the Gospel: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day.
The Gospel Is Not Jesus' Earthly Ministry
You cannot be saved by Jesus' earthly ministry alone; salvation only comes through His death, burial, and resurrection.
Paul's Revealed Gospel
Paul delivered the Gospel by revelation: the Messiah of Israel died on the cross, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
This is the central passage Les uses to define the true Gospel.
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
This verse explains that the Gospel itself is the power of God for salvation.
2 Corinthians 5:15: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Paul shows that Christ's death and resurrection are the basis for the believer's new life.
Ephesians 1:13: In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
The Gospel is called 'the word of truth' and 'the gospel of your salvation' in Paul's writing.
No. Les says 'telling people to come forward and take Jesus into your life is not the Gospel.' The Gospel is that Christ died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead. When you believe that Gospel, then Jesus becomes your personal Savior.
No. Les says 'hell, fire, and brimstone preaching is not the Gospel.' He still acknowledges that lost people are headed to a devil's hell, but that warning is not the Gospel message itself.
Les says the shed blood is implied in Christ's death and cannot be left out. The Gospel includes His death for our sins, and His shed blood is the payment for sin.
No. Les says 'you cannot be saved by the gospel according to Jesus' earthly ministry.' Salvation is only by virtue of His death, burial, and resurrection.
According to Les, the Jewish believers at Jerusalem had only believed that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel. The believers at Antioch, however, believed that He died for them and His blood had been shed for their sin—that is the true Gospel.
Watch the Teaching: Why the First Christians Were NOT in Jerusalem (Acts 11)