Greeting to the Saints in Ephesus

The prescript follows conventional Pauline form: sender, recipients, and greeting. Paul identifies himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus “through the will of God,” grounding his commission in divine initiative rather than personal appointment. The recipients are called “saints” and “faithful in Christ Jesus,” terms that describe covenant identity and allegiance rather than exceptional moral status.

The phrase “in Ephesus” is textually significant. It is absent from important early witnesses, including P46 and Codex Vaticanus in their original hands, leading many scholars to think Ephesians may have circulated as a more general letter intended for several churches in Asia Minor. Others defend Ephesus as the original destination and explain the omission differently. The greeting “grace to you and peace” combines characteristic Greek and Jewish epistolary language and attributes both gifts to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1 opens with a brief epistolary greeting and then expands into an elaborate blessing and prayer. Verses 3-14 form a single densely constructed Greek sentence praising God for election, adoption, redemption, revelation of the divine purpose, inheritance, and the sealing of believers with the Holy Spirit. The repeated phrase “in Christ” and related formulations make union with Christ the organizing sphere of these blessings, while the section moves from God’s purpose before creation toward the final summing up of all things in Christ.

Verses 15-23 shift from blessing to intercession. The writer prays that believers may perceive the hope of God’s calling, the glory of the inheritance, and the magnitude of divine power already displayed in Christ’s resurrection and exaltation. Psalm 110:1 and Psalm 8:6 shape the depiction of Christ enthroned above every power and given as head over all things to the church. The chapter therefore establishes the letter’s cosmic and ecclesial framework before later chapters develop reconciliation, unity, and conduct.