Paul’s greeting is brief, but it is far more than a formal opening. In just two verses, he establishes the God-given authority of his message, identifies the readers as God’s holy people in Christ, and declares that grace and peace come from both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul begins by calling himself “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” This is more than a title. From the outset, he makes clear that his role and message do not come from himself. He was not self-appointed, and his authority is not merely a matter of human recognition. His apostleship rests on God’s will. For that reason, this letter is to be received as apostolic instruction with God-given authority, not as one religious opinion among many.

He then addresses the readers as “saints” and “faithful in Christ Jesus.” The word “saints” does not refer to a small group of unusually advanced believers. It refers to those who have been set apart to God—His holy people. Paul gives this identity to the whole church. Their identity is theological before it is geographical. In other words, he first describes who they are in relation to God and Christ, and only then speaks of where they live.

The words “in Ephesus” are kept in the main text, but there is an important early textual question because some manuscripts do not include them. This means the letter may have been sent specifically to Ephesus, or it may have circulated more widely among several churches. The issue is worth noting, but it does not change the main point of the greeting. Whether the readers were in Ephesus alone or in a broader group of churches, Paul defines them above all as people who belong to God and are in Christ Jesus.

The phrase “faithful in Christ Jesus” most likely identifies them as believers in Christ, though the word can also carry the sense of faithfulness. The main point is probably not that Paul is singling them out for special praise, but that he is identifying them as those whose life and identity are bound up with Christ. This already introduces one of the letter’s great themes: believers are understood in union with Christ. That truth becomes especially important in the verses that follow.

Paul then speaks a blessing: “Grace and peace to you.” This is not an empty greeting. Grace is God’s favor and generous action toward His people. Peace is not merely an inner feeling of calm. It includes wholeness, well-being, and reconciliation given by God. The greeting fits the Bible’s broader pattern of God blessing His people with favor and peace, and it prepares the way for later parts of Ephesians where Christ brings peace and reconciliation.

Paul says this grace and peace come “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” That wording is theologically significant. The Father and the Son are clearly distinguished, yet they are named together as the joint source of blessing. This gives real weight to the person of Christ. Jesus is placed alongside the Father in the giving of divine blessing. At the same time, Paul does not blur the distinction between the Father and the Son.

So even in this short greeting, Paul introduces themes the rest of the letter will unfold: God’s purposeful will, the church’s identity as God’s holy people, life in Christ, and the grace and peace that come jointly from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. These are not disposable opening words. They set the tone and direction for all that follows.