The "Greetings" element of this epistle's opening is only verses 1 through 2. The "Herald" portion some see as a single sentence of verses 3 through 14 (I will bring these verses to you in another post, lest the blog get tedious and wearisome). Keep in mind that punctuation is a late phenomenon, the New Testament in the original Greek was writing in unical form (all "upper case" letters) and no punctuation except a paragraph break was used. Punctuation appeared the century after the writings of the New Testament. Here is an example of John 1:1-2 as it would appear in the unical form:
ΕΝΑΡΧΗΗΝΟΛΟΓΟΣΚΑΙΟΛΟΓΟΣΗΝΠΡΟΣΤΟΝΘΕΟΝΚΑΙΘΕΟΣΗΝΟΛΟΓΟΣΟΥΤΟΣΗΝΕΝΑΡΧΗΠΡΟΣΤΟΝΘΕΟΝ
How is punctuation determined? The punctuation is interpreted from an analysis of the noun declensions and prepositional phrases. Unlike English, which has only retained the genitive/possessive declension, every Greek noun had a declined form for nominative, dative, genitive, accusative, and vocative forms. These enabled the reader and hearer to process what looks like a stream of letters into separate thought and communication elements.
Why go through all this before talking about Ephesians? In one English version, verses 3-14 might be one sentence, others might make it two or three. It does not matter. I just want to remind you that punctuation is interpretive, but the Word is inerrant.
Ephesians 1:1-2 (Darby)
Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by God's will, to the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus who are at Ephesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul asserts his own role, though it is not necessary as he had been with these people for 3 years. They knew who he was, what he was about. Paul never lost sight of the fact that he was entirely a work of God's grace. Nothing about him was his own; it was all of Christ. He was not an apostle because he had studied for it, been promoted to it, progressed unto it -- no, he was an apostle of Jesus Christ ONLY because it was God's will that he be so. And in bringing this before his brothers and sisters in Ephesus, he is reminding them that it is not he that should be held in high regard, but that Jesus Christ alone is the worthy person of their adoration. All that they received from Paul, was not of Paul, but of Jesus Christ, and Paul's assertion of the humility of his office is his reminder to them.
Paul then extends his standard greeting of grace and peace, but not in a generic, humanist manner. He points them to the source of both "...from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ". 'Peace' outside of Christ is more a 'detente', an agreement to ease tensions -- a tenuous peace at best; 'grace' is a synonym for politeness and pleasantness. Yet, "grace and peace" mean so much more to the saint: grace is the unmerited favor of God, the only mechanism for salvation coming upon a person; peace is the eternal reconciliation we have with God through Jesus Christ, incapable of being disturbed or distressed in any way. More than saying, "pleasantness and an ease of tensions in your relationships be unto you", Paul says, "the unmerited favor of God and eternal reconciliation be yours in Jesus Christ".
Humility in service, unmerited favor of God in salvation, eternal reconciliation in relationship to Jesus Christ: these are representative of a continuum of attributes of the life in Jesus Christ.
His grace and peace be yours today.
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