Ephesians 1:1,2

Greetings

Paul wrote this letter as one who was specially chosen and sent by the Lord himself (Acts 9:10-16). He wrote to the saints in Ephesus. A saint is one sanctified, or set apart, for God's service (1 Corinthians 6:11). Sanctification is an ongoing process God is completing in us as long as we are on this earth (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

The "faithful" would be the same group of people as the saints (Ephesians 1:1). Notice, their location is "in Christ Jesus," an expression which is used some thirty-six times in this epistle. Since the Lord adds the saved to the church (Acts 2:47), we conclude being in Christ is synonymous with being in the church, which seems to be supported by Ephesians 1:22-23.

Grace, or some form of it, was the typical Greek greeting, while peace was the normal Hebrew greeting. The Father is the source of unmerited favor for lost mankind and that grace produces both an inner peace and a desire to live in peace with others. (1 Peter 5:10; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 4:6-7; Matthew 5:43-48.) God's grace and the peace it brings to us is extended to man through his Son, so Paul appropriately says it is from God and the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:2).