But there’s more!
Paul is also saying something more, though. He is indicating that his arrival in the camp of Christ was God directed. God’s will was that someone would take the good news to the Gentiles. Handpicked from the religious elite was Paul. Smart, educated, passionate, and capable of making his case he was called from one life and launched into another. He was not self-appointed. It was far larger than that.
God launches us too. We may not be at a Paul-level, but we can easily be right at the level God would have us be.
Gifting not greeting.
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:2–ESV)
The greeting that Paul launches his letter with is imbued with two gifts: grace and peace.
Look who gives these. It does not say, “Grace to you and peace from Paul the Apostle,” or “…from Paul your Apostle.” Nope it says, “…from God…” Paul writes them, but in doing so is reminding them. It is God who gives them. Let us look at them.
First, comes grace. This is for the shortcomings of the faithful; Christians. Each person sins both intentionally and unintentionally. Grace is there to cover that multitude.
Second, comes peace. Souls that know of their sins and are buried under them are in need of peace. So this is for the settling of those souls.
Do you know of anyone who simply is agitated that their salvation never sticks? They need peace.
Grace and peace are not from man. They are not Paul’s dispensation to the Ephesians, but God’s. So while Paul invokes them it is less of a delivery and more of a reminder. Even the faithful in Christ Jesus need solutions for their sins and peace for their souls. Right out of the box Paul is laying these helps on the Christians of Ephesus. They are not merely a greeting, but a reminding of the gifting. Grace from God the Father and peace from God the Son.
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