Yes — the Apostle Paul is considered influential because, as Les Feldick teaches, God used him to introduce Christianity to the Gentile world, making him the human founder of the faith built on Jesus Christ.
Paul laid the doctrinal foundation of the church as the wise masterbuilder, yet the foundation itself is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-11). While Jesus is the basis of everything, Les points out that Jesus could not yet proclaim His finished work during His earthly ministry and the Twelve had no idea He would die. So it was Paul — next to Christ, one of the two greatest men who ever lived — who took the gospel to the world.
1 Corinthians 3:10-11 — Paul identifies himself as the masterbuilder who laid the foundation, and he defines that foundation as Jesus Christ — the heart of why Paul's influence matters.
Acts 8:1 — Scripture's first picture of Saul as a persecutor shows who Paul was before God made him the apostle to the Gentiles.
In the book of Acts, Saul of Tarsus first appears as the enemy of the believers. Acts 8:1 records, 'And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem.' At Stephen's stoning, Acts 7:59-60 records Stephen crying out, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit' and praying, 'Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.' It is Paul himself who later describes the work God gave him. In 1 Corinthians 3:10 he writes, 'According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.' The very next verse defines that foundation: 'For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.' Scripture also shows that before the cross, the Twelve did not understand what was coming. Luke 18:31-34 records Jesus telling them He would be delivered to the Gentiles, mocked, scourged, and put to death, and rise again — 'And they understood none of these things.'
Les Feldick points out that when Saul of Tarsus is first introduced in Scripture, he is not in a good light — he is the one heading up a terrible persecution of Jewish believers, consenting to Stephen's death (Clips 0, 7). Yet at this very point, as Israel is rejecting everything concerning the Christ, we are introduced to 'the man who is going to make all the difference to the rest of the world' (Clips 1, 7). Les loves that a national news magazine once ran a cover story on men who had made an impact upon history and included the Apostle Paul among the greatest, crediting him with introducing Christianity (Clip 1). Les normally reminds people that Jesus is the foundation and the basis of it, but he says plainly: 'Jesus didn't found it, Paul did. And he founded it on Jesus Christ, of course' (Clip 2). Paul was the master builder who laid the foundation of the church age — and that foundation is Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross (Clips 3, 5, 6). For believers in this age of grace, Paul is the authority through whom God is speaking to the whole human race (Clip 4). Because it was Paul who took the gospel out to the Gentile world, Les rates him next to Christ Himself: 'I feel that Paul and Moses are the two greatest men that ever lived and had the greatest impact on all of human history' (Clip 7).
Les Feldick makes the distinction this way: Jesus is the foundation and the basis of Christianity, but the man who introduced it to the world was Paul (Clip 1). He points to a national news magazine that credited Paul with being the one that introduced Christianity (Clip 1). Les agrees with that description in the sense that 'Jesus didn't found it, Paul did. And he founded it on Jesus Christ, of course' (Clip 2). In 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, Paul calls himself the wise masterbuilder who laid the foundation — yet that foundation is Jesus Christ (Clips 3, 5). Paul wasn't continuing an old building; as the master builder he started with a brand new foundation: Jesus Christ and Him crucified, buried, and risen again (Clip 6).
Les's answer is no. 'If you think that Jesus and the twelve preached our gospel, you better think again' (Clip 2). Jesus never promoted the fact that He had died and shed His blood, because He couldn't — it hadn't happened yet (Clip 2). And the Twelve certainly didn't understand it, because they had no idea He was going to die (Clip 2). Les refers to Luke 18:31, where Jesus told the Twelve He would be delivered to the Gentiles, be killed, and rise again — yet Scripture says 'they understood none of these things' (Luke 18:31-34). This is why the man God later raised up to speak with authority for the age of grace was Paul, not one of the Twelve (Clip 4).
Scripture introduces Saul of Tarsus standing at the stoning of Stephen. Acts 8:1 says he was 'consenting unto his death,' and a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem (Clip 0). Stephen, as the stones fell, prayed, 'Lord, lay not this sin to their charge' (Acts 7:59-60; Clip 7). Les notes that Saul is 'not in a very good light' — he was heading up a terrible persecution of Jewish believers (Clips 0, 7). Yet it is at this very point, as Israel is rejecting everything concerning the Christ, that we are introduced to 'the man who is going to make all the difference to the rest of the world' (Clips 1, 7).
Les observes that the first thing Paul had to establish to whomever he wrote was the authority connected to his apostleship (Clip 4). He faced the same divisions believers face today — some said they followed Paul, some followed Peter, and others said, 'I don't care what Paul says. I'm going to do what Jesus said' (Clip 4). Paul had to defend his apostleship especially to Jewish people, who thought he was a renegade to Judaism (Clip 4). Les's conclusion: for believers in this age of grace, Paul is the authority through whom God is speaking to the whole human race (Clip 4).
Saul the Persecutor — A Change of Operation
Les introduces Saul of Tarsus as the leader of a vicious persecution of Jewish believers — the same man God would use to change the world — and clarifies that the Greek word ecclesia (called-out assembly) must be understood by its setting.
News Magazine Names Paul a World-Changer
Les cites a national news magazine that listed Paul among the men who made an impact on history, crediting him with introducing Christianity — even though Jesus is the foundation and basis of it.
Paul Founded Christianity on Jesus Christ
Les says plainly that Jesus didn't found Christianity — Paul did, but he founded it on Jesus Christ, and Jesus Himself could not yet proclaim His death and shed blood because it hadn't happened yet.
Christ Is the Foundation Paul Built On
Les clarifies that Paul is not the basis of our salvation — the foundation is Jesus Christ — and that Paul, along with the other apostles and Old Testament prophets, built upon that foundation.
Paul's Unique Authority in the Age of Grace
Les explains that Paul had to defend his apostleship because God made him the authority through whom He speaks to the whole human race in this age of grace.
Paul the Master Builder Laid the Foundation
Les shows from 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 that Paul was the master builder who laid the foundation — but the foundation itself is Jesus Christ and His finished work of the Cross.
A Brand New Foundation: Christ Crucified, Buried, Risen
Les says the master builder doesn't continue an old building — Paul starts with a brand new foundation: Jesus Christ and Him crucified, buried, and risen again.
Paul Took the Gospel to the Gentile World
Les ranks Paul next to Christ Himself — with Moses, the two greatest men who ever lived — because Paul took the gospel out to the Gentile world after Israel rejected Christ.
Acts 8:1: And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Introduces Saul of Tarsus as the persecutor of the early believers, the man God would later use so mightily.
Acts 7:59-60: And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Shows the stoning of Stephen at which Saul was consenting, marking the start of the great persecution.
1 Corinthians 3:10: According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
Paul's own claim that he laid the foundation of the church age by God's grace.
1 Corinthians 3:11: For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Defines the foundation Paul laid: Jesus Christ Himself.
Luke 18:31-34: Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
Shows that even after Jesus told the Twelve about His death and resurrection, they understood none of it — setting the stage for Paul's revealed gospel.
Les Feldick teaches that a national news magazine credited Paul with introducing Christianity, and he agrees that Jesus didn't found it — Paul did, but he founded it on Jesus Christ (Clips 1, 2). Jesus is the foundation and the basis of everything, while Paul is the master builder who laid the foundation of Christ and His finished work on the cross (1 Corinthians 3:10-11; Clips 3, 5).
No — Saul of Tarsus first appears in Scripture consenting to Stephen's death and leading the great persecution of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1; Clip 0). Les points out that at the moment Israel is rejecting Christ, we are introduced to the very man who will make all the difference to the rest of the world (Clips 1, 7).
According to Les, no. Jesus never promoted the fact that He had died and shed His blood because it hadn't happened yet, and the Twelve had no idea He was going to die (Clip 2). He points to Luke 18:31-34, where the Twelve understood none of these things (Clip 2).
Les says the first thing Paul had to establish to whomever he wrote was the authority connected to his apostleship (Clip 4). For believers in the age of grace, Paul is the authority through whom God is speaking to the whole human race (Clip 4).
Watch the Teaching: Introducing Paul: Why God Stopped the Prophetic Clock