Ephesians 1:1-2 Salutation
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul begins by identifying himself and then opens his letter with a with a salutation. This was both proper for letter writing as well as being part of Paul’s standard written greeting (read Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:1 and Colossians 1:1). We see that in each of these referenced opening statements that Paul refers to himself as an apostle. An apostle is an official delegate who has been sent out by someone with a message to others such as relaying orders in the field from a ranking official. In the New Testament the term apostolos is used exclusively to refer to a follower taught firsthand by Jesus. Paul reluctantly called himself an apostle (see 1 Corinthians 15:9) as he was responsible for much of the early church persecution. Here he is using that term as a title that gives him credibility and authority. He is writing as one sent by and speaks for God by authority granted him by Jesus (see Galatians 1:11-24). As an apostle, Paul was motivated to preach and teach the Word of God (see 1 Corinthians 1:17; 9:16). An apostolic movement would be one who took the message to another and that person passed it on to the next and so forth, as Christians we take the information we learned from the apostles and tell others, who tell others and they…well you get the picture.
The Greek word for ‘saints’ (hagios) is often translated as ‘holy’. Many Christians misunderstand this word, the word ‘holy’ refers to something or someone that has been set apart for God’s use and in many cases should not to be used for any other purpose. So then who are the “holy ones” or saints Paul is referring to? Biblically the term ‘saint’ or “holy ones” refers to those that believe in Jesus Christ for their salvation (read Romans 3:21-24; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 and Philippians 3:9-11). Some religions and some Christian groups have redefined the term to be “special people” that have done extraordinary things in their eyes, however, this concept or use of ‘holy’ is not Biblical.
To be faithful, as the word is used in this verse, begins with our faith in Jesus, that He truly does have the ability to save us and will save us. Being faithful also implies that as believers we will willingly follow Jesus and make Him a priority in our lives.
Paul then offers a dual blessing that was considered a common greeting for Christians in the early church as well as being part of Paul’s standard greeting, namely grace and peace. Grace is defined as getting something we do not deserve (similar, but opposite, to mercy, which is not getting something we do deserve such as punishment). We need to understand that without grace we could never be saved as we simply do not have the ability to satisfy the requirements for salvation on our own. Once we experience grace we can enjoy peace, true peace can only come from God. The peace referenced by Paul and others in the Bible is very different than what the world today might call peace. In John 14:27 Jesus made an interesting offer, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (ESV) Paul in his letter to the Philippians said, “…the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7, ESV) and in his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15, ESV) God’s peace is complete and unlike any peace we can obtain without Him, plus we have no ability or method that can help us understand this type of peace. In order for us to experience any peace, especially the peace we receive from God, we need to accept His grace, that allows us to be with Him for eternity. Without His grace of salvation we would be lost forever, no peace there!