Paul never refers to the Gospel of the Kingdom because his apostleship is built on a separate, newly revealed message — the Gospel of the Grace of God.
According to Les Feldick, the Gospel of the Kingdom was the good news that Christ was the King in Israel's midst, fulfilling Old Testament promises to the nation — a message for Jews only. When Israel rejected the King and crucified Him, God turned to Saul of Tarsus with a different good news: that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. Paul's gospel is therefore the Gospel of Grace for the Body of Christ, and he never uses the title 'Gospel of the Kingdom.'
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 — Paul defines the content of the gospel he preaches as the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ — the message that Les Feldick contrasts with the Kingdom gospel.
Galatians 2:2 — Paul specifies that the gospel he communicates is the one he preaches among the Gentiles, distinguishing his message from the Kingdom message to Israel.
Romans 1:9 — Paul names his message 'the gospel of his Son' rather than the Gospel of the Kingdom, showing the different titles attached to his gospel.
The apostle Paul's letters do not call his message the 'Gospel of the Kingdom.' Instead, the Scripture record shows that Paul identifies his gospel with expressions such as 'the gospel of his Son' (Romans 1:9), 'that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles' (Galatians 2:2), and a message by which the Gentiles are made fellowheirs and of the same body (Ephesians 3:6). In 1 Corinthians 15:3–4, Paul defines the heart of his gospel: '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.' Paul also speaks of one body with many members (Romans 12:4), showing that his gospel centers on the Body of Christ rather than on a national kingdom message. The Scripture record thus presents Paul's gospel as a message of grace, salvation through the finished work of the cross, and the joining together of believers in one body in Christ.
Les Feldick teaches that Paul does not refer to the Gospel of the Kingdom because Paul's message is a different good news — the Gospel of the Grace of God. The Gospel of the Kingdom was the message proclaimed by Christ, Peter, and the Twelve to the nation of Israel: that Christ was the King in their midst, ready to fulfill all the Old Testament promises concerning Israel and His Messiahship. It was a message for the Jew only, with nothing in it for the Gentile. When Israel rejected that message and crucified the King, God turned to Saul of Tarsus. After three years alone with the ascended Lord, Paul was prepared to go to the Gentiles — not with Judaism, not with Law, but with Grace.
Les teaches that during Christ's earthly ministry, Jesus, Peter, and the Twelve proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom. It was the good news that Christ was in the midst of Israel as the King, ready to fulfill all the Old Testament promises concerning Israel and His Messiahship. This message was for the Jew only; there was nothing in it for the Gentile. After Pentecost, Philip continued the same Gospel of the Kingdom to the nation of Israel, and it still contained no mention of salvation by the finished work of the cross. The nation as a whole rejected the message and the King, saying 'away with him, crucify him,' though a little flock accepted it.
Paul preaches the Gospel of the Grace of God, which Les says came from the Apostle Paul out of the revelation of the Mysteries. Paul never calls it the Gospel of the Kingdom; he calls it the Gospel of God, 'my Gospel,' the Gospel of the Grace of God, the Gospel of Christ, and the Gospel of His Son. The content of Paul's gospel is always the same: Christ died for our sins, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again from the dead. It is the gospel that opens the door, makes pagan Gentiles new creatures in Christ, and transforms Jewish legalists into people of grace. As Les summarizes, 'that's Paul's gospel and that's our gospel.'
Les teaches that God never changes, but He can change His message. Israel rejected the Gospel of the Kingdom and the King, culminating in the crucifixion. God then turned to Saul of Tarsus, later the Apostle Paul, and sent him to the Gentiles — not with Judaism, not with Law, but with Grace. Paul's gospel, preached among the Gentiles, was totally different from what Peter and the Eleven preached to the Jew. God now deals not just with Israel under the law and the kingdom economy, but with the Gentile world as well as the Jew, with the gospel of the grace of God rather than the gospel of the kingdom.
Kingdom Gospel vs. Saul's New Commission
Les explains that Christ's earthly ministry and Peter's preaching were the Gospel of the Kingdom — the King in Israel's midst ready to fulfill Old Testament promises, for Jews only — and that after Israel rejected and crucified the King, God turned to Saul of Tarsus.
Paul's One Gospel and the Rejected Kingdom
Paul's ministry makes Gentiles fellow heirs of the same body through the gospel, and Paul only knows one gospel — Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead; the Kingdom was in Israel's midst and the nation for the most part rejected it.
The Difference Is Night and Day
Les contrasts the Gospel of the Kingdom, preached by Christ and the Twelve, with the Gospel of the Grace of God revealed to Paul from the Mysteries — as different as night and day — and defines Paul's gospel as Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
Paul's Gospel Is Not the Kingdom Gospel
After three years alone with the ascended Lord, Paul went to the Gentiles with the Gospel of Grace — not just that Jesus is the Christ, but that He died for our sins, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again.
Paul Never Uses the Title
Les states plainly that Paul never calls his gospel the Gospel of the Kingdom — never — but instead calls it the Gospel of God, my Gospel, the Gospel of the Grace of God, and the Gospel of Christ.
Two Distinct Good News
About seven years after Pentecost the Gospel of Grace still had not been revealed; Philip continued the Gospel of the Kingdom to Israel, with no mention of salvation by the finished work of the cross.
Paul's Gospel Defined
The gospel Paul constantly refers to is that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day — 'that's Paul's gospel and that's our gospel.'
Gentiles: Not Kingdom but Grace
Paul's gospel among the Gentiles was totally different from what Peter and the Eleven preached to the Jew; now God deals with the Gentile world with the gospel of the grace of God, not the gospel of the kingdom.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4: 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 content Paul assigns to his gospel — death, burial, and resurrection — which Les contrasts with the Kingdom gospel.
Romans 1:9: For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
Paul calls his message 'the gospel of his Son,' not the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Galatians 2:2: And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
Paul emphasizes that his gospel is the one he preaches among the Gentiles, distinguishing his message from what the Twelve preached to the Jews.
Ephesians 3:6: That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
This gospel makes Gentiles fellow heirs of the same body — the Body of Christ — rather than a national kingdom message.
Romans 12:4: For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
Paul's focus is the one Body of Christ with many members, standing in contrast to the Kingdom message to Israel.
Because, as Les Feldick teaches, Paul's message is not the Kingdom message. The Gospel of the Kingdom was Israel's good news that Christ was the King in their midst, but Israel rejected and crucified Him. God then sent Paul with a new message — the Gospel of the Grace of God — which Paul calls the gospel of God, 'my gospel,' the gospel of the grace of God, and the gospel of Christ. Paul's gospel centers on Christ's death, burial, and resurrection for our sins.
No. Les teaches that the two are as different as night and day. The Gospel of the Kingdom was preached to Israel by Jesus, Peter, and the Twelve and concerned the King and the Old Testament promises; it had nothing for the Gentiles. The Gospel of Grace was revealed to Paul from the ascended Lord and goes to both Jews and Gentiles, calling out the Body of Christ through faith in Christ's finished work.
According to Les, the Gospel of the Kingdom was proclaimed by Christ during His earthly ministry, by Peter and the Eleven, and for a time by Philip after Pentecost. It was a message to the nation of Israel that Christ was the King in their midst, ready to fulfill the Old Testament promises concerning Israel and His Messiahship.
Watch the Teaching: Why Only Paul Uses the Term 'Body of Christ' — Bible Study