Why did Paul write to the saints instead of to the unsaved world?
Paul wrote to the saints because discipling believers is how the lost are effectively reached. Rather than preach at the unsaved world, he strengthened the faithful so they could reflect Christ's righteousness among ungodly people, prompting them to ask what they must do to be saved.
Les explains that Paul does not write to the unsaved world, not because he had no heart for them. The point is that you do not win the lost merely by screaming at them and preaching at them. Instead, you win the lost by discipling the believer. When a believer is discipled and goes out among an ungodly world, reflecting the righteousness of Christ, that believer will impact lost people. Then they will ask, “What must I do to have what you've got?” That creates the opportunity to tell them to believe that Christ died for them, that He rose from the dead, and that they will be saved. So Paul writes to the saints and to those who are faithful, and the key phrase is “in Christ Jesus,” a prepositional phrase.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
More Questions
Why does Les say Paul writes only to believers?
Paul writes only to believers, because he addresses his epistles to the saints, and every believer is a saint.
Who are the 'saints' Paul addresses in Ephesians 1:1?
Les explains that Ephesians 1:1 says, 'Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints, that's the believers, who are in Ephesus, and to the faithful... In Christ Jesus.' So the saints are the believers in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus. Les further notes that Ephesians contains 96 prepositional phrases such as 'in Him,' 'in whom,' and 'in Christ,' speaking of Christ Himself, which describe the believer's position in Christ or in the body of Christ.