to introduce the topic and make the audience favorably disposed. In a letter intended to unify the community under threatening circumstances, Paul also knows the critical importance of opening words. With his adaptation of the opening greeting, he sets the tone for his appeal to the community, establishing a relationship with the listeners and introducing the themes of the letter. With the introductory Paul and Timothy as slaves (douloi, NRSV “servants”) of Christ Jesus, he introduces the countercultural