Ephesians 1:1

Berean Standard Bible

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

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The opening verse of the Epistle to the Ephesians is brief, but it bears significant theological depth and lays the foundation for the grand spiritual themes that will follow. Like many of Paul’s letters, it begins with a self-identification and a greeting to the recipients, but every word is chosen purposefully and theologically.

Paul identifies himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus.” The term “apostle” (apostolos) means “one who is sent” and carries the connotation of an official envoy or emissary who bears the authority of the one who sends. Paul, who was dramatically converted on the road to Damascus and commissioned directly by the risen Christ (Acts 9), did not assume this role of his own accord. This was not a title he earned through education or religious success. Rather, his apostleship was the result of divine initiative, not human ambition.

This truth is reinforced by the phrase, “by the will of God.” Paul is careful to clarify that his authority and commission originate not from men or through institutional endorsement, but from the sovereign will of the triune God. This phrase also reflects a profound humility. Despite his unique position as an apostle to the Gentiles and his intellectual brilliance, Paul begins not with personal credentials but with the declaration that his entire ministry rests on the gracious determination of God. In doing so, Paul sets the tone for a letter that will explore themes of divine will, election, and the eternal purposes of God (see Ephesians 1:4–11). Paul’s own calling becomes an example of the broader theological truth that God’s purposes are established before the foundation of the world and enacted in time through His chosen servants.

Paul addresses the letter “to the saints who are in Ephesus.” The word “saints” (hagioi) refers not to an elite class of super-spiritual individuals, but to all believers who have been set apart by God and made holy through union with Christ. It is a title of status, not achievement. Holiness is not something that these believers have earned; it is something that has been conferred upon them through the redemptive work of Christ. In calling them saints, Paul emphasizes their identity as God's chosen and consecrated people.

The phrase “who are in Ephesus” locates the primary recipients of the letter geographically. Ephesus was a major city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), known for its wealth, its cultural influence, and especially its religious plurality, including the famous temple of Artemis. The church in Ephesus would have been surrounded by pagan practices, imperial ideology, and societal pressures, making Paul’s exhortation to live out their identity in Christ all the more crucial. It is worth noting that some early manuscripts omit “in Ephesus,” leading some scholars to suggest that this epistle may have been intended as a circular letter, distributed among several churches in the region. Regardless, the message applies broadly and universally to all believers.

Paul continues by describing the saints as those who are “faithful in Christ Jesus.” This phrase can be understood both as a description of their ongoing belief in Christ and as a deeper theological reality: their union with Christ. The Greek phrase “en Christō Iēsou” (“in Christ Jesus”) is one of Paul’s most important theological expressions, used repeatedly throughout Ephesians and the rest of his writings. It denotes the believer’s spiritual position and identity—no longer in Adam, no longer defined by sin, the flesh, or the world, but now located in Christ, partaking of His righteousness, His resurrection life, and His heavenly inheritance. The term “faithful” can refer both to their trust in Christ and their loyalty or fidelity as His disciples, suggesting both belief and behavior are included in what it means to be “in Christ.”

This opening verse, therefore, already introduces key themes that will run throughout the epistle: divine calling and will, the authority of Christ, the sanctity and identity of the Church, and the believer’s union with Christ. It is both a greeting and a declaration—a reminder that the Christian life is entirely the result of divine initiative and grace. Paul’s authority, the saints’ identity, and their spiritual position all flow from the will of God and are centered on the person of Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, this verse confronts the modern reader with profound truths about vocation, holiness, and belonging. Paul’s introduction does not flatter; it reminds. It reminds believers that they are not defined by location (“in Ephesus”) alone, but primarily by position (“in Christ Jesus”). Their identity is not based on Roman citizenship or cultural status, but on their relationship to the risen Lord. This remains true for every believer in every age. Wherever we are situated geographically, economically, or socially, our true identity is found in our union with Christ and in the will of the God who has called us.

In summary, Ephesians 1:1, though brief, is a theologically charged introduction. It establishes Paul’s divine commission, the believers’ sanctified identity, and the foundational reality of being in Christ. It declares that all that follows in the letter—the blessings of redemption, the mystery of the Church, the call to holiness, and the armor of God—is rooted in this first and essential truth: that we are who we are by the will of God, through the grace of Christ, and for the glory of His name.

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Grace and peace to you, dearly beloved of God, citizens of heaven, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and sealed by the Spirit of promise. We begin today not in haste, not skimming past this first line as though it were a mere formality, but we stop here, at the threshold of this sacred letter, and we listen—because every word breathed by the Spirit is rich, weighty, and full of glory. “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus.” In this short verse, we are brought face to face with the divine calling of the messenger, the holy identity of the Church, and the unshakable foundation of our union with Christ.

Paul writes as “an apostle of Christ Jesus.” He does not write as a man of opinion, as a philosopher with theories, or as a theologian seeking a following. He writes as one sent—apostolos, a man under orders. The apostolic office was not a career. It was not a title seized by ambition. It was a divine commission. Paul did not volunteer; he was arrested by grace. He did not earn this position by pedigree or performance. In fact, he was a persecutor, a blasphemer, and a violent man. But on the Damascus road, Christ Jesus revealed Himself—not merely to forgive, but to commission. The persecutor became a preacher. The enemy became an envoy. And he bears witness to the fact that the call of God cannot be earned, nor can it be resisted once the Spirit draws a man to his knees.

He says, “by the will of God.” Here lies the weight of it all. This is not Paul’s self-appointment. This is not man’s approval. This is God’s sovereign determination. It was the will of God that set Paul apart from his mother’s womb. It was the will of God that brought him low. It was the will of God that made him a vessel of the mystery of Christ. And it is that same will that calls, saves, and sanctifies every believer in Christ today. We must hear this—our lives are not accidents. Our faith is not the product of chance. We did not wake up one day and decide to become God’s people. We were chosen, summoned, and made alive by the will of God. We believe because God willed it. We are here because He appointed it. The will of God is not theoretical—it is effectual. It creates, it calls, it carries.

Paul writes “to the saints.” That word, hagios, holy ones, set apart ones—not because they were morally flawless, but because they were claimed by grace. These are men and women once lost in idolatry, once walking in the futility of their minds, once dead in trespasses and sins. But now they are called saints. God has taken what was unclean and made it holy. He has taken the broken and called them His own. To be a saint is not to be elite—it is to be set apart. It is to be consecrated unto God’s purpose. And that is what we are, brothers and sisters. Not because we feel holy. Not because we act holy every day. But because God has declared us holy in Christ.

They are saints “in Ephesus.” That is, in a city saturated with idolatry, commercialism, and cultural pressure. Ephesus was home to the great temple of Artemis, a center of pagan religion and spiritual darkness. And yet, even there, the light of the gospel had pierced through. God does not call us out of the world to escape it—He calls us in the world to shine in it. These saints were in Ephesus, but they were not of Ephesus. They lived surrounded by paganism, yet they belonged to heaven. This is true for us. We are in cities, in nations, in neighborhoods filled with confusion and corruption. But we are not defined by the environment we live in. We are defined by the One who lives in us.

Paul says they are “faithful in Christ Jesus.” Here we see not only their position, but their posture. To be “faithful in Christ Jesus” means they are marked by trust and loyalty to Him. They are holding fast to their confession. They are enduring. But this faithfulness does not begin in human willpower—it flows from their position “in Christ Jesus.” This phrase, “in Christ,” is the theological anchor of the letter. Over and over again, Paul will say it—in Christ, in Him, in the Beloved. It is the key to everything. Our salvation, our blessing, our redemption, our adoption, our inheritance—they all flow from our union with Christ.

To be “in Christ” means we are united with Him in His death, His resurrection, and His ascension. It means we are no longer in Adam, no longer under condemnation, no longer strangers to the covenant. We are grafted into the True Vine. We are seated with Him in the heavenly places. We are hidden with Christ in God. This is not symbolic; it is spiritual reality. This is our truest location—not our house, not our job, not our nationality—but in Christ. And because we are in Christ, we are secure. Because we are in Christ, we are accepted. Because we are in Christ, we are transformed. Let every anxious heart hear this: your life is not dangling in uncertainty. It is hidden in Christ.

This single verse, then, is more than a greeting. It is a declaration of identity. It tells us who sends the message, who receives it, and who defines the life of the Church. It reminds us that the Christian life is born of God’s will, lived in the world, and rooted in Christ. It reminds us that our titles are not earned—they are bestowed. That our calling is not fragile—it is firm. That our holiness is not achieved—it is gifted. And that our faithfulness, while weak at times, is grounded in the One who is forever faithful.

So, beloved, let us live as those who know who we are. Let us walk as saints—not in arrogance, but in assurance. Let us remain faithful—not by striving in our own strength, but by abiding in Christ. Let us remember that we are sent—some to preach, some to serve, all to bear witness. And above all, let us never forget that we are who we are, not by the will of man, but by the will of God. And what God has willed, no power in heaven or earth can undo.

To the praise of His glorious grace, amen.

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O Sovereign Lord, Almighty Father, eternal and unchanging, we come before You with grateful hearts and bowed spirits, acknowledging that You are the One who calls, who sends, who sanctifies, and who sustains. You are the God of purpose, whose will stands forever, whose word never fails, and whose grace reaches to the lowest depths to raise up a people for Your own possession. We praise You, for You are the One who calls men out of darkness and into light, who appoints servants not according to human counsel but according to Your sovereign decree.

We thank You, O Lord, for the witness and calling of Your servant Paul, whom You appointed as an apostle of Christ Jesus not by the wisdom or will of man, but by the good pleasure of Your eternal will. You laid Your hand upon him when he was still breathing threats against the Church, and by the power of Your grace You turned his rebellion into submission, his hatred into love, his blindness into sight. In Paul’s calling, we behold a mirror of Your mercy—a mercy that chooses the unworthy, that raises the dead, that confounds the wisdom of this age and establishes Your kingdom through vessels of clay.

Lord Jesus Christ, You are the One who appeared to Paul in glory, who called him by name, and who gave him the charge to proclaim the mystery of salvation to the nations. And now You have called us as well—not to apostleship, but to faith, to holiness, to union with You. You have chosen us in Yourself before the foundation of the world, and by Your will we have been made alive, brought near, and sealed with the Holy Spirit. Let us never forget, O Lord, that our life in You is not the result of chance or self-determination, but of divine intention. We are Yours because You willed it so. We believe because You drew us. We stand because You uphold us.

And so we come to You as saints—not saints by merit, but by mercy. Not saints because of perfection, but because of our position in Christ. You have called us holy, though we were once unclean. You have declared us righteous, though we were once guilty. You have separated us from the world and consecrated us unto Yourself. And in this we rejoice with trembling—for who are we, O God, that You should set Your love upon us? Who are we that You should call us saints, when we were once rebels and strangers?

Teach us, Lord, to live as those who have been made holy. Let our lives reflect what You have declared us to be. Let our thoughts, our words, our conduct, our relationships, and our affections be shaped by the reality that we are saints in Christ Jesus. And yet, Lord, we feel the pull of this world. We live, like the Ephesians, in a culture full of idols, temptations, and falsehoods. But You have placed us in the world for a purpose—that we might shine as lights in the darkness, that we might bear witness to the gospel in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. Strengthen us to stand firm. Remind us daily that while we are in this world, we are not of it. Our citizenship is in heaven. Our identity is in Christ.

And we thank You, Lord, for this glorious phrase: “faithful in Christ Jesus.” For faithfulness is not found in our own resolve, but in our union with You. It is not the fruit of sheer willpower, but of abiding in the Vine. O Christ, in You we live and move and have our being. In You we find grace for each day. In You we are anchored when the storms rage. In You we are held when our grip grows weak. Let our faithfulness be the overflow of our fellowship with You. Let us be found faithful—not in the eyes of men, but in the eyes of our Lord. Faithful in suffering. Faithful in prayer. Faithful in obedience. Faithful in the small things and the unseen places.

O God, let this verse be more than words to us. Let it be the shaping truth of our lives. Remind us daily that we are who we are by the will of God. That our place in the body of Christ is not random, but appointed. That our calling is not fragile, but founded in eternity. And that our perseverance is not in vain, for the One who called us is faithful.

We pray for the Church—that we, like the saints in Ephesus, would walk worthy of the calling we have received. That we would hold fast to the truth of the gospel, love one another with pure hearts, and grow up into Him who is the Head, Christ Jesus. And we pray for ourselves—that we would not be content with empty religion or shallow confession, but that our hearts would burn with holy desire to know Christ more deeply, love Him more fervently, and serve Him more faithfully.

Now unto Him who called us, who saved us, who keeps us, and who will bring us home, be all praise and glory, dominion and power, both now and forevermore.

Amen.