EPHESIANS: Grace and Peace

EPHESIANS Number 2:
Grace and Peace

Ephesians 1:1–2 (KJV 1900) 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: 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I love Paul’s regular use of grace and peace as a greeting. Having a relationship with God is possible only through grace, as we will see when we get to Ephesians chapter 2. Peace is the natural result of having a relationship with God.

Romans 5:1 KJV 1900
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Paul does not stop at this, however. He addresses his comments to the saints who are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. It is this verse that gives rise to the idea that the name of the place where the letter was to be read may have been filled in during copying for distribution. Paul’s use of “and” here does not indicate that some saints were faithful, and others were not. Rather it includes all who are saints in the various local fellowships, and any others who are faithful in Christ as his intended recipients. He wrote to those in the local assembly, but also to those from other places who might also hear the letter. People like us!

I find it difficult to read the word “saint” without commenting on the Greek behind it. (Okay, I find it hard not to comment on the Greek much of the time.) But “saint” translates a Greek word that I think we would all benefit from committing to memory. That word is hagiazo. It’s a word that gets translated in a number of ways. Sometimes it’s translated “saint”, like it is here.

Other times it is translated “sanctified.” We find this in Hebrews 2:11 (KJV 1900) “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.”

It is also translated “holy.” For example, “For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.” (Romans 11:16, KJV 1900)

The word hagiazo means consecrated to God, holy, pure, reverent. (BDAG) To be consecrated means to be set apart. All who are in Christ are set apart to God.