I. Introduction (1:1–9)
Almost all letters from the Greco-Roman period begin with a threefold salutation: Name of the Writer, to the Addressee, Greetings. Very often the next item in the letter would be a thanksgiving and/or prayer to the gods for the health or well-being of the addressee. Paul’s letters follow this standard form; however, in his hands even these formal items are touched by the gospel so as to become distinctively Christian.