Ok lets start where JMB starts Ephesians 1:1-2: from ESV

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

JMB's first paragraphs layout the importance of the book of Ephesians. He uses quotes from William Baclay "Ephesians is the queen of the epistles."; and Ruth Paxsob who called Ephesians "the Grand Canyon of Scripture."t;

JMB states, "If Ephesians is profound, it is so not for the mysterious nature of its unfathomable deep secrets, but for the clear way it presents the most basic Christian truths. There is nothing in Ephesians that is not taught elsewhere."

Furthermore, he sums up, "The focus for all the other doctrines in Ephesians is the church as God's new society, so in a sense the book links these truths of Christianity to us, God's people. In other words, it is practical."

The second section of Chapter 1 in his commentary, examines the church at Ephesus. JMB then agrees with the view that "Ephesians was originally composed as a circular letter intended for all the seven churches of Asia...and that name Ephesians became identified with the epistle because ot was the chief city."

Then JMB turns his attention to the two lines of text

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

 Here JMB shares as Paul writes this letter from a prison in Rome, that the first line Paul's writing "is not to be regarded as other books written by mere men or women but as God's own revelation. It was from God. Therefore it is all true; it speaks with authority."

Again JMB writes, "Paul's emphasis does not lie so much on the fact that he was an apostle, as wonderful as that was, but on howhe became one." Paul is emphasizing God's grace and power not his station with this opening line.

Here JMB says we most follow Paul's lead "If we are going to talk about the basics of the gospel, as Ephesians does, we must start at this point and from the very beginning of our exposition be sure that we relate everything to God."

Taking on the second verse,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

JMB quotes D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones when calls the verse "the incredible minimum of what constitutes a Christian.";

breaks it down;

1. Christians are saints

 Saint means to be set apart for God. Christians are set apart because God sets them apart in Christ.

2.  Christians are faithful

JMB states that faith has 3 elements;

• An Intellectual element - Faith involves content - "for faith to exist, that content must be proclaimed and understood.
• An emotional element
• A volitional element - "Having perceived and understood the gospel and having been affected by it, the true Christian now makes a personal commitment to Christ who died for him."

3.    Christians are in Christ

JMB states that Paul uses this phrase 164 times in all his writing. "The phrases mean more than just believing in Christ or being saved by his atonement. They mean being joined to Christ in one spiritual body so that what is true of him is also true of us."

Application to Biblical Servanthood -

Starting with God as Paul does and JMB says we should do, how does serving one another originate from God?

Do you feel joined with Christ? If he was the ulimate servant, could you say that is true of you... (ok I know we could never serve as Christ did, but are we emulating his example because of his?)

When you serve in local church or outreach are you conscious of all the elements of faith in the way and attitude of your service?