Ephesians 1:1

Today we are taking a break from John and looking at Ephesians

Ephesians Chapter 1

verse 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

An apostle is a person sent by another; a messenger; It is, generally used to describe Jesus' disciples.

A little bio on Saul/ Paul

Saul (q.v.) was born about the same time as our Lord. His circumcision-name was Saul, and probably the name Paul was also given to him as a child to use in the Gentile world. "Saul" would be his Hebrew “home-name”. His home was Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia, a Roman province in the south-east of Asia Minor.
Tarsus was also home to a famous university. Here Saul spent his youth, enjoying the best education his native city. His father was a Pharisee, of the tribe of Benjamin, of pure and unmixed Jewish blood (Acts 23:6; Phil. 3:5).
We read of his sister and his sister's son (Acts 23:16), and of other relatives (Rom. 16:7, 11, 12). Though a Jew, his father was a Roman citizen. How he obtained this privilege we are not informed. "It might have been bought, or obtained by distinguished service to the state…we don’t know what matters is that Saul was born free-this was a great privilege in those days, and it was great use to Paul
It was decided that Saul should go to college and become a rabbi, that is, a minister, a teacher, and a lawyer all in one."
Saul finished the first part of his education and was sent at the age of 13 to the great Jewish school of sacred learning to learn the law. There he became a pupil of Rabbi Gamaliel, and he spent many years studying the scriptures.
Many years went by after school…. however, after the crucifixion of Jesus Saul found himself in Jerusalem, where there was a new group emerging the “Nazarenes (believers in Jesus Christ).
For some two years after Pentecost, Christianity was quietly spreading its influence-that Jesus was the Messiah- in Jerusalem. Opposition towards the Nazarenes was serious and Saul was one of the ring leaders (a member of the Sanhedrin-the Jewish Ruling Council).
Next, we all know the story of Saul’s revelation on the way to Damascus to persecute more Nazarenes. If not here is the story… As Paul and his companions rode on, suddenly at mid-day a brilliant light shone round them, and Saul fell to the ground in terror, a voice sounding in his ears, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" The risen Saviour was there, clothed in his glorified humanity. Saul asked, "Who are you, Lord?". "I am Jesus who you persecute" (Acts 9:5; 22:8; 26:15).
After this Saul changed his life and became a missionary of Jesus Christ…on his third missionary tour, he journeyed by land in the eastern parts of Asia Minor,to Ephesus, where he worked for at least three years. Ephesus was at the time a major city of the Mediterranean. It was a city of great wealth, and it had every kind of pleasure. This was a great opportunity for Saul to do effective work.