Yes, understanding Paul's doctrines is essential because they contain the fundamental truths for salvation and the Christian walk, and neglecting them can lead to apostasy.
Les Feldick teaches that for the Church Age, Paul is the designated apostle to the Gentiles, and his letters provide the basic truths for salvation, Christian living, and church operation. Without these, believers are vulnerable to false teaching and missing the full picture of God's plan.
2 Timothy 3:16 — Paul himself affirms that all Scripture is inspired and profitable, supporting the use of all Scripture while emphasizing his unique doctrines.
The Bible, specifically through Paul's writings, emphasizes the importance of understanding his doctrines. In 1 Corinthians 15:2, Paul stresses that believers must 'keep in memory what I preached unto you, lest you believe in vain,' indicating that understanding the gospel is crucial. Furthermore, in Ephesians 4:14, Paul warns against being 'tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,' highlighting the need for doctrinal stability. Paul also writes in 2 Timothy 3:16 that 'all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,' which includes his own letters.
Les Feldick emphasizes that for the Church Age, God has designated Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles, and his letters contain the fundamental truths for salvation, the Christian walk, and church operation. He stresses that while all Scripture is inspired and profitable, unique doctrines of grace are found only in Paul's writings. Les warns that neglecting Paul's epistles leads to missing the full beauty of God's salvation plan, and he encourages spending the best part of our study time in Paul's letters, then funneling back and forth through the rest of Scripture.
Les Feldick warns that if believers do not understand Paul's doctrines, they are in danger of being 'carried about with every wind of doctrine' and may miss the full picture of salvation. He laments that many theologians and preachers 'clip off' the bloom of Paul's revelations, focusing only on the Gospels and thereby neglecting the very truths that show the beauty of God's program. This neglect can lead to apostasy, as believers are not grounded in the foundational truths of grace.
Les Feldick explains that for this age of grace, the Church Age, Paul is the designated apostle to the Gentiles. Therefore, the fundamental truths for salvation, Christian living, and church operation come from his letters. While this does not imply that the rest of the Bible is inappropriate, Paul's writings contain specific doctrines of grace that are not found elsewhere in Scripture.
Les Feldick clarifies that being a proponent of Paul does not mean ignoring the rest of the Bible. He uses the whole Scripture, Genesis through Revelation, and affirms that all Scripture is profitable. He suggests that believers should spend the best part of their time in Paul's epistles, then 'funnel back and forth' throughout the rest of Scripture, as Paul's revelations build upon and complete the whole picture.
Paul's Writings as Key
Les emphasizes that understanding the Bible requires separating certain truths, and Paul's writings are especially important in this regard.
Knowing End-Times from Paul
Les points out that Paul taught new converts about the end of the church age, indicating that we must know these things to know what to look for.
Paul's Doctrines of Grace
Les clarifies that he does not isolate Paul but uses all Scripture, yet Paul's writings uniquely contain doctrines of grace.
Knowing What You Believe
Les teaches that believers must understand the gospel and what Paul preached, or they may believe in vain.
Paul as Apostle to Gentiles
Les asserts that for the Church Age, Paul is the designated apostle, and his letters contain fundamental truths for salvation, Christian walk, and church operation.
Paul's Revelations Beyond Judaism
Les illustrates that the revelations through Paul are so above and beyond Judaism that it takes time to understand them, and they encompass salvation's full scope.
Full Picture in Paul's Letters
Les teaches that you must go to Paul's epistles to get the full picture of God's plan; clipping them off leaves you missing the bloom.
Devote Time to Paul's Epistles
Les encourages spending the best part of study time in Paul's epistles because they bring out doctrines not found elsewhere in Scripture.
1 Corinthians 15:2: By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Paul emphasizes the need to hold firmly to the gospel he preached, underscoring the importance of understanding his doctrine.
Ephesians 4:14: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Paul warns that without doctrinal grounding, believers are vulnerable to deception, reinforcing the need to understand his teachings.
2 Timothy 3:16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
This verse affirms the value of all Scripture, including Paul's letters, for doctrine and instruction.
Les Feldick teaches that for the Church Age, Paul is the designated apostle to the Gentiles, and his letters contain the fundamental truths for salvation, the Christian walk, and church operation (Clip 4). He emphasizes that Paul's writings bring out doctrines not found elsewhere in Scripture (Clip 7).
No, Les Feldick clarifies that he uses the whole Scripture and affirms that all Scripture is profitable (Clip 2). He simply teaches that the 'full flower' of God's salvation plan is found in Paul's letters (Clip 6).
Les warns that without understanding Paul's doctrines, believers are vulnerable to being carried about by every wind of doctrine and may miss the full picture of God's salvation (Clip 3, 6).
Watch the Teaching: Why Paul Didn't Learn From Peter — Galatians Chapter 1 Explained