A typical letter begins with a greeting. The writer says, “hi, it’s me; I’ve been thinking about you,” or “Here’s the news from our part of the world.”
Paul’s greetings are part of a pattern and a purpose. What is significant about the ways in which Paul opened his letters? Here are five points to consider.
1. An Identifying Introduction
Casey Shutt refers to Paul’s “signature greeting,” which means there is a familiar way in which Paul opens his letters. His method helps us to verify authorship. Does every one of the New Testament epistles begin in the same fashion?
While James and Peter also commence with a greeting, the introduction to 1 John 1:1 reads more like the first sentences of a story. “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, [...] we also declared to you” (1 John 1,3).
Then we have Hebrews, which is often attributed to Paul, although its author has not been determined for certain.
Certain verses make us think of Paul, but the greeting is not one of them. There is more of John’s narrative style in the introduction. “Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets” (1:1).
In other words, there are some features of Paul’s greetings that are not present in all of the epistles. These features are pieces of puzzle that help us to feel certain of his authorship.
The introductions alone are not sufficient, but if one were skeptical that a certain epistle was not written by Paul, he or she could at least start with the opening lines before deciding whether or not to examine the substance and closing.
2. Identifying a Disciple
If you want a short-hand version of the life of a disciple of Christ, Paul’s introductory statements are rich. To the Ephesians, he identifies himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will” (1:1).
He greets the Roman church as “a servant of Christ Jesus” (1:1). Paul tells the Philippian Christians that he and Timothy are both “servants of Christ Jesus,” and he tells the Colossian Christians that Timothy is “our brother” (1:1).
We learn that to be a Christian is to be a Christ follower. Paul and Timothy could only do what they were doing because they were permitted and called by God. I even wonder if “by God’s will” indicates a sense of feeling privileged in spite of their suffering.
One could argue that, on the contrary, it’s as though they had no choice because God had called them.
In one sense, perhaps this would be true, but dig deeper into the letters, and you see that Paul considered it a joy to follow Jesus, no matter the cost. “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12). “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).
And a servant of Christ is a servant of the church and of the people around him. Jesus came to serve; thus, Paul identifies himself as a servant of his Savior. A servant in the Christian church is not outside the family but within it, a beloved brother, part of God’s family.
3. Grace and Peace
Shutt points out that “in every letter, Paul greets the recipient with some variation of ‘grace and peace’ — combining the standard Greek greeting, charis (grace), with the standard Hebrew greeting, shalom (peace).”
When you see a “book” of the Bible that begins this way, you know it is a letter and that it could be a letter written by the Apostle Paul.
John Piper explains that when Paul said, “Grace and peace to you” (Philippians 1:2), there was an implication of movement, an increase. He wants to see the people of God mature and grow, experiencing more of God’s grace and peace in their lives.
So, what are these nouns which Paul refers to over and over? Shutt says that “every frayed thread of creation will be restored and knit together in harmony.
Creation is barreling toward peace.” Peace is rest with God, fullness, and restoration. “The grace of God is bringing peace from God.” Grace “is the Lord's favor — freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is ‘always leaning toward them’).” Peace is “wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together”.
Paul’s letters start by indicating that peace and grace are linked — you get peace when you experience wholeness with God, and there is no way to experience this wholeness without the reality of his grace or our own awareness of it.
Those first few words of each letter distill the gospel down to a few key realities. The rest of his letters flesh out the meaning of those initial lines.
4. To the Saints
Paul’s greetings explain who he is, and they even say a little bit about Timothy. Paul’s introductions tell us a great deal about the Christian walk; they are like seeds that germinate throughout the letter itself.
Paul’s greetings give us a bit of insight into who Christ is, too — the head of a family, a servant, a leader offering grace and peace. And Paul’s letters are also aimed at an audience identified by his terminology.
They aren’t just Colossians, Romans, Galatians, et. al. They are “the saints in Christ” (Colossians 1:2; Philippians 1:1). They are “the faithful saints” (Ephesians 1:1), those “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:2).
These various ways of addressing his brothers and sisters help to define “saint.” This is one who has placed his or her faith in Jesus for salvation and for sanctification.
The Greek word “hagiasmos” means “the process of advancing in holiness” or “being progressively transformed by the Lord into His likeness.”
Paul identifies his readers as those who belong to God, which is critical because they might have been tempted to feel shame when faced with their sin.
Shame is a lie that undercuts reality: we were made in God’s image, and those who believe John 3:16 are the children of God.
They can expect to see themselves change over time, to look, act, and sound more and more like Jesus, but not perfectly, not without some false starts and recurring sins. Paul began with an important encouragement.
Later, as he expressed disappointment in certain behaviors, these Christians could look back at the greeting and remember who they were in Christ. They had committed sins, but these sins did not change their identities. They were not the sum of their trespasses.
5. Consistent and Loving
Even if Paul was merely a person of habit, he offers every reader the same grace and peace. Otherwise, recipients might have been tempted to turn away from God for fear of condemnation. Without recognizing the humility of a servant in their teacher, they might have been tempted to boast.
Instead, Paul offered what he had also been given by the Lord himself. If he was displeased with the behavior he had heard about, Paul knew he needed what he had to offer as much as they did.
Even when he was about to come down on those sinful people and their disunity or false preachers, he started out by saying, essentially, there is a better plan for you; you are worth more than this; He is worth more than this; we can do this together.
He is saying, “I’m one of you.” As a servant, he identified with his Savior; as a mere mortal, a brother, he identified with the people of the newly formed church.
Many things in this life will change. We will be buffeted by the reality we face. Paul was, too, but he remained faithful, honest, and gracious, even when he was conveying painful truth designed to convict and foster spiritual refinement to the glory of God.
These letters have had an impact on Christians since they were first disseminated, probably even on the one who wrote them.
As he continued to build on the same themes of spiritual maturity, salvation, the immeasurable love of God for his people, etc., one can only hope that Paul was, himself, encouraged and comforted by the truths he taught.
Not only did he reaffirm what he knew about Jesus, but with every letter, he was reminded how far the gospel had spread and its immense power to change the hearts and lives of people who, in spite of diverse socio-economic, racial, and religious backgrounds, were united by the same truth that buoyed Christ’s suffering servant.
For further reading:
4 Lessons in Gratitude from the Life of the Apostle Paul
Did Paul Know That His Letters Would be Scripture?
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