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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n If you are a Christian, this letter was written to you!<\/p>\n \u201cApostle<\/span>\u201d is transliterated from the Greek word apostolos<\/em><\/span>, made up of apo<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cfrom or away from\u201d and a form of the verb stell\u014d<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cto withdraw from\u201d or \u201cto send forth.\u201d Thus, apostolos<\/em><\/span>, as it is used here, means \u201cone who is sent out by Christ<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n The word translated \u201cwill<\/span>\u201d is thel\u0113ma<\/em><\/span>, which indicates \u201ca determination or decision.\u201d The verbs thel\u014d<\/em> <\/span>and boulomai<\/em> <\/span>are both translated \u201cto will\u201d but boulomai<\/em> <\/span>expresses a desirous will (wish) whereas thel\u014d<\/em> <\/span>expresses a determined will (decision).<\/p>\n \u201cSaints<\/span>\u201d is from hagios<\/em><\/span>, which literally refers to something which causes awe. Its root meaning is \u201cthat which has been set apart from common use to Godly use.\u201d As we will learn from Paul in this letter, all Christians have been set-apart by God; that is, all Christians are saints.<\/p>\n Paul begins this letter with a typical salutation identifying himself (Paul the apostle) as the writer. He immediately sets the tone for this letter by indicating that his apostleship is a result of God\u2019s determination (it was God\u2019s decision). One of the key underlying themes of this letter is the complete sovereignty of God in choosing whom He determines. This doctrine of \u201celection\u201d has been hotly debated since the time of the Reformation in the sixteenth century; however, writings of the early church fathers indicate that the early church readily accepted it. Throughout this letter we will see that Paul clearly teaches that God chose us, not because we decided to get saved, but because He decided to save us.<\/p>\n The next phrase in this opening verse, \u201cTo the saints who are in Ephesus,<\/span>\u201d has been questioned by some. The reason for this is because the words \u201cwho are in Ephesus<\/span>\u201d are omitted in two key Greek manuscripts. Some scholars believe that the letter was written with these two words intentionally omitted, allowing copyists to insert the name of a particular church to make it more personal. An overwhelming number of the manuscripts, however, contain the words \u201cwho are in Ephesus<\/span>;\u201d therefore, it is reasonable for us to conclude that this letter was specifically addressed to the church in Ephesus.<\/p>\n The final phrase of this verse indicates that Paul intended that is should be read by more than just the Ephesians. He addresses this letter to all the \u201cfaithful in Christ Jesus.<\/span>\u201d This is not a reference to those who have a sense of fidelity and perseverance, but to those who are \u201cof the faith.\u201d In other words, this letter was sent to the Christians who lived in Ephesus and to anyone else who has professed faith in Jesus Christ. If you have accepted the blood of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins and have declared Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, then this letter was written specifically to you.<\/p>\n The God of all creation, the great I AM who lead Moses and the Israelites through the wilderness, wants you to know Him completely. It\u2019s not very often that we recognize that God had the Bible written for you and me individually. This letter called Ephesians was written to you, Christian!<\/p>\n In God\u2019s service, for His glory,<\/strong><\/p>\nTruth to Learn<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Behind the Words<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Meaning Explained<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Application<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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