Ephesians 1:2

Two things here, and the second is the more pastoral. First, the pattern: one preposition, two names, as in every other Pauline opening. Ephesians is the letter that goes on to say salvation is by undeserved kindness through faith, and not from yourselves, it is God's gift, not from works (2:8-9) — so the greeting sets up the letter's own theme. Second, the phrase itself. The NWT translates charis as "undeserved kindness," which is a good and vivid rendering — it says plainly that nothing was earned. Take a Witness at their own translation's word. If the kindness is undeserved at the start, what changes it into something to be kept up afterwards? Ephesians 2:8–9 in their Bible says the whole thing is a gift and not from works, so that no one should boast. That is a gentle question, and it does not require winning any argument about the Trinity first. Many Witnesses are tired, and the news that the kindness was never being earned is worth offering on its own. Compare Galatians 1:3, Philippians 1:2, Ephesians 1:11.