Paul emphasizes the post-resurrection revelations because they alone carry the gospel of grace revealed to him from the risen, ascended Christ after the work of the cross.
According to Les Feldick, everything Jesus said in His earthly ministry was before the cross, before His blood was shed. The twelve disciples did not understand the prophecies of His death and resurrection because those truths were hidden until after His ascension. Paul received his gospel directly from the ascended Lord in glory, making those post-resurrection revelations the source of the doctrines of grace.
Galatians 1:11-12 — Paul explicitly says his gospel was not received from men, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Luke 18:34 — The disciples understood none of Jesus' predictions about His death and resurrection; it was hidden from them.
2 Corinthians 5:16 — Paul says that although Christ was known after the flesh, now He is no longer known that way.
The Scripture itself shows why the post-resurrection revelation was necessary. In Luke 18:34, after Jesus told the disciples what would happen to Him in Jerusalem, they "understood none of these things" and the saying was hidden from them. The full meaning of the cross and resurrection was not yet made clear to them. In Galatians 1:11-12, Paul declares that the gospel he preached was not after man, and that he did not receive it from man, but "by the revelation of Jesus Christ." This points to a revelation given after the crucifixion and resurrection. In 2 Corinthians 5:16, Paul says that even though he had known Christ after the flesh, "yet now henceforth know we him no more," signaling a new, post-resurrection way of viewing Christ. Romans 5:8 puts the cross at the center: "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Les Feldick teaches that Paul's emphasis on post-resurrection revelations is a deliberate distinction between Christ's earthly ministry before the cross and His ascended ministry after the cross. Everything Jesus said in the four Gospels, apart from the post-resurrection chapters, was before His death, burial, and resurrection. The Twelve did not understand the prophecies about His suffering and rising; those truths were hidden until God revealed them to Paul. Paul did not receive his gospel from the Twelve or from Jesus' earthly ministry; he received it by direct revelation from the ascended Lord in glory. Consequently, for Les, the "meat of our doctrine" and the gospel for today come primarily from Paul's writings, because those are the post-resurrection words of Christ from heaven.
Les explains that everything Jesus said in His earthly ministry, except for the last chapter of each Gospel after His resurrection, was spoken before the cross. Christ had not yet died, had not shed His blood, and the work of the cross was not yet finished. The disciples, even when told directly that He would be beaten, put to death, and rise again, "understood none of these things" because it was hidden from them. This is why, Les says, the four Gospels' earthly-ministry teaching is not where the meat of New Testament doctrine lies.
Les says Paul was adamant that he did not receive his gospel from the earthly ministry of Christ and did not go back to Jerusalem to check in with the Twelve. Instead, he had his own "private seminary training" with the ascended Lord out in the desert. Paul claimed he saw the Lord face to face after the work of the cross, and the revelations came from Jesus seated at the Father's right hand. Paul was the one to whom God revealed these great truths of salvation after Christ ascended and sent the Holy Spirit.
Les teaches that it was only after Christ finished the work of the cross and revealed His plan of salvation to Paul that it became "that gospel" which Paul preached to the Gentiles. He says it is good to know the miracles Christ did and the events surrounding His crucifixion, but that is not the gospel. The gospel is the preaching of the cross — Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. Because those truths come from the ascended Lord after the cross, the post-resurrection revelations carry that gospel message.
No. Les says it is good to know every miracle Christ did and everything that led to His crucifixion. But he also insists that what Jesus said before the cross must not be confused with the post-resurrection revelation given through Paul. The words Paul writes are still the words of Jesus — only now from the ascended Lord in glory, in the time most appropriate after the finished work of the cross.
What Is Truth? Jesus Christ Explained Verse by Verse
one of you be a part of this. And for those of you joining us on television, we always like to explain that we're just an informal Bible study. We're not connected with any particular group, and I'm just a layman. I'm not a pastor. I'm not a theologian.
The Disciples' Hidden Understanding
The disciples did not understand Jesus' predictions of His death and resurrection; those truths were hidden until God later revealed them to Paul.
Paul's Private Seminary with the Ascended Lord
Paul did not receive his gospel from Jesus' earthly ministry or from the Twelve, but from his own private seminary training with the ascended Lord.
Before the Cross vs. After the Cross
Everything Jesus said in His earthly ministry was before the cross, while Paul's revelations come from the Lord in glory after the work of the cross.
Face-to-Face Appearances After the Cross
Paul never met Jesus in His earthly ministry, but he saw the Lord face to face after the work of the cross, from ascended glory.
The Gospels Are Pre-Resurrection
People who insist on following only Jesus' earthly ministry are staying before His death, burial, and resurrection; the Twelve did not even know He would rise.
Miracles Are Not the Gospel
Christ's miracles and the resurrection appearances are good to know, but the gospel is the preaching of the cross revealed through Paul.
Revelation from the Ascended Lord
Everything Paul writes comes from the ascended Lord after Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, making it the gospel preached to the Gentiles.
Galatians 1:11-12: But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
This is Paul's own statement that his gospel came by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
Luke 18:34: And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
The disciples did not understand Jesus' prophecy of His suffering and resurrection; it was hidden from them.
2 Corinthians 5:16: Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
Paul teaches that after the resurrection, believers are no longer to view Christ merely in His earthly, fleshly ministry.
Romans 5:8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
This verse places the gospel on the death of Christ, which Paul preached after the post-resurrection revelation.
Les points to Luke 18:34, where the disciples understood none of the things Jesus told them about His suffering and rising again because it was hidden from them. They did not even know He would be raised after the crucifixion. That understanding was later revealed especially to the apostle Paul.
No. Les says Paul never had a face-to-face confrontation with Christ in His earthly ministry. Instead, Paul saw the Lord face to face after the work of the cross, receiving revelations from the ascended Lord in glory.
Because Paul's writings are the post-resurrection revelations from the ascended Lord. Everything Jesus said in His earthly ministry was before the cross, whereas Paul's epistles contain the meat of New Testament doctrine after the finished work of the cross.
Les says it is good to know Christ's miracles and everything that led to His crucifixion and resurrection, but that is not the gospel. The gospel is the message of the cross that Paul preached, revealed after the resurrection.
Watch the Teaching: What Is Truth? Jesus Christ Explained Verse by Verse