Paulʼs Greeting to the Ephesians

In the 1st-century Greco-Roman world, the term (apostle) carried significant weight, denoting an authorized envoy sent with a specific mission, often backed by a patron or authority. Paul’s self-identification as an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God would have signaled to the Ephesian audience that he was not acting on his own initiative but as a representative of divine authority. The address to the (saints) in Ephesus would have been understood as a designation for those set apart for God’s purposes, a term rooted in Jewish covenantal language but now extended to include Gentiles. The (faithful) would have been seen as those who were both trusting and trustworthy in their allegiance to Christ. The greeting of (grace) and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ would have resonated as a blend of Greek favor and Jewish shalom, emphasizing divine benevolence and wholeness.