Ephesians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, writing to the saints at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. It was a letter to a church for which he had labored much. His judgment was reliable because it had been formed under the teaching of the Holy Spirit after many revelations from God, and the knowledge he imparted was pure, elevating, and ennobling. His letter holds precious instruction for every soul.
The verse opens the setting forth of the privileges of the Christian. It opens an epistle whose message offers the church encouragement and presents Jesus Christ as its Redeemer. It begins the promises about predestination in verses 1-8, offered to all who come to God through faith in Christ.
That predestination includes all who accept Christ as personal Saviour and return to loyalty and obedience to God's commandments, so that all who are willing to be saved by Christ are God's elect and the obedient are predestined from the foundation of the world. The greeting that follows presents grace as God's free, undeserved gift, through which God adopts, redeems, regenerates, and exalts people to heirship with Christ. God's love and Christ's death came while people were still sinners, and human need rather than worthiness is the qualification for receiving grace. The verse opens inspired words that give assurances again and again of acceptance and divine promises to be claimed in all their depth and fullness through faith in the power of God by truly converted men and women, instead of leaning on the arm of the law and trusting in worldly powers. The first chapter of which the verse is part is to be studied for enlightened understanding while placing oneself rightly before God and caring for oneself as God's property.