Yes — Paul is emphasized for the church age because God entrusted the revelation of the mystery, the doctrines of grace, to him for the Gentiles.
Paul himself states in Romans 16:25 that the mystery was kept secret since the world began until it was revealed through his gospel. In Ephesians 3, he identifies himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles and says the dispensation of the grace of God was given to him for them. Les Feldick adds that the church and the Body of Christ appear nowhere in the Old Testament or the Gospels, making Paul's letters the source of the fundamental truths for salvation, the Christian walk, and the local church.
Ephesians 3:1-3 — Paul identifies himself as Christ's prisoner for the Gentiles and says the mystery was made known to him by revelation — the core of why Paul is emphasized.
Romans 16:25 — Paul reveals the mystery was kept secret since the world began and is now disclosed through his gospel.
Paul makes his own case for why his writings are foundational to the church age. In Romans 16:25 he writes: "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began." This verse ties Paul's gospel to the disclosure of a mystery that had been hidden from previous ages. In Ephesians 3:1, Paul identifies himself as "the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles," and in verse 2 he speaks of "the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward." Verse 3 explains the source of his authority: "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery." Paul further clarifies in Ephesians 3:5 that this mystery "in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." Paul also affirms that all Scripture remains profitable: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).
Les Feldick teaches that for this age of grace — the Church Age — Paul is the designated Apostle of the Gentiles. Consequently, the fundamental truths for salvation, for the Christian walk, and for the operation of the local church all come from Paul's letters. He stresses, however, that this never implies the rest of the Bible is inappropriate: Paul himself writes that all Scripture is inspired of God and profitable. Les also explains that the mystery, which is the whole circle of Paul's doctrines, was kept secret in the mind of God until it was revealed to Paul. Using the analogy of Moses, who received the Law and delivered it to Israel, Les shows that God gave the doctrines of grace to Paul, who then delivered them to the Gentiles. You find nothing of the church in the Old Testament and nothing of the Body of Christ in the Gospels — it is strictly a Pauline revelation, brought to its fullest expression in Ephesians and the present epistles.
Les Feldick reads Romans 16:25 as Paul's own statement that the mystery — the whole circle of Paul's doctrines — was kept secret since the world began until God revealed it to him. He further notes from Ephesians 3:5 that this mystery was not made known to the sons of men in other ages but is now revealed to God's holy apostles and prophets. For this reason, Les concludes that you find nothing of the church in the Old Testament and nothing of the Body of Christ in the Gospels.
No. Les stresses that his emphasis on Paul does not isolate Paul's letters from the rest of Scripture — he uses the whole Bible, Genesis through Revelation. As he says, Paul himself writes that all Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable for reproof and for instruction in righteousness. The Pauline letters are unique, however, in that they contain the doctrines of grace for the church age.
Les explains that after Paul's experience on the road to Damascus, he went into Arabia rather than quickly returning to Jerusalem to confer with the other apostles. For three years in a private, solitary seminary training, God revealed the mysteries to Paul, and these mysteries became the whole sphere of grace doctrine. Les also notes that deeper revelations came in the book of Ephesians, and he suggests the Lord may have poured out even more of these deep doctrines while Paul sat in prison in Caesarea waiting to go to Rome.
Les points out that Jesus never once mentioned the Body of Christ. Paul introduces the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12, but the doctrine is brought to its fullest expression in the present epistles such as Ephesians. This reinforces Les's teaching that the Church and the Body of Christ are strictly a Pauline revelation.
Les teaches that the Pauline letters are where believers must garner the fundamental truths for salvation, for the Christian walk, and for the operation of the local church. He gives Romans as one example, noting that it contains so much that is fundamental for us as Gentiles, which is why he teaches from these letters.
The Secret Revealed to Paul
Les shows from Romans 16:25 that the mystery was kept secret since the world began until God revealed it to Paul, establishing Paul's unique role in the church age.
Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles for the Church Age
Les identifies Paul as the designated Apostle of the Gentiles and says the fundamental truths for salvation, the Christian walk, and the local church come from his letters.
Grace Given to Paul for the Gentiles
Les uses Ephesians 3:1-2 and the Moses analogy to show God gave the doctrines of grace to Paul, who then delivered them to the Gentiles.
Holding the Whole Scripture with Paul's Unique Doctrines
Les clarifies that his emphasis on Paul never discards the rest of Scripture; all Scripture is profitable, but grace doctrines are unique to Paul's writings.
Body of Christ Revealed through Paul
Les explains that Jesus never once mentioned the Body of Christ; Paul introduces it in 1 Corinthians and develops it fully in Ephesians and the present epistles.
Paul Received Revelation Independently of the Twelve
Les highlights Paul's direct revelation from God: he went to Arabia instead of consulting the other apostles, showing his commission came from the Lord.
Three Years of Private Revelation of the Mysteries
Les says God revealed the whole sphere of grace doctrine to Paul during three years of private, solitary seminary training, and that the church and Body of Christ appear nowhere before Paul.
The Mystery Made Known by Revelation
Les reads Ephesians 3:3 and 3:5, showing the mystery was made known to Paul and not revealed to the sons of men in other ages.
Romans 16:25: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Paul ties his gospel to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began — the foundational reason for his unique role.
Ephesians 3:1: For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
Paul identifies himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ on behalf of the Gentiles.
Ephesians 3:2: If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Paul states the dispensation of the grace of God was given to him for the Gentiles.
Ephesians 3:3: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Paul says the mystery was made known to him by revelation.
Ephesians 3:5: Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Paul clarifies the mystery was not revealed in other ages but is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
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:
Paul affirms that all Scripture remains profitable, showing the emphasis on his letters does not discard the rest of the Bible.
Yes. Les stresses that he teaches the whole Scripture, Genesis through Revelation, and that Paul himself writes that all Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable. Emphasizing Paul's letters for grace doctrine does not imply the rest of the Bible is inappropriate.
Les Feldick points out that Jesus never once mentioned the Body of Christ. Paul introduces the doctrine and brings it to its fullest expression in the present epistles, which is why the Body of Christ is a distinctly Pauline revelation.
According to Les, after the Damascus road experience Paul went into Arabia rather than conferring with the other apostles. For three years in private, solitary training, God revealed the mysteries to Paul. Les adds that deeper revelations came in Ephesians and may have been given while Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea before going to Rome.
Paul says the mystery was made known to him by revelation and that the dispensation of the grace of God was given to him for others — specifically the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:2). Les compares this to Moses, who received the Law and delivered it to Israel; Paul received the doctrines of grace and delivered them to the Gentiles.
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