2 Thessalonians 3:17

The salutation of Paul with mine own hand Lit., The salutation with my own hand of PAUL. In the last word the Apostle's formal signature is attached. Pen in hand, he adds the brief concluding sentences to the letter, lying now all but complete before him.

The Apostle commonly employed one of his helpers as amanuensis. "I Tertius, who wrote this letter," e.g., in Romans 16:22; comp. Galatians 6:11; Philemon 1:19, where he notifies his writing sua manu. But it was needful that he should sign his name, with a few words of greeting written by himself, in order to authenticate the Epistle. In other Epistles we find the autograph conclusion without the final signature, which was not usual in ancient letters. There is no reference of this kind at the close of his First Epistle; but since that time his written authority had been alleged for statements he had never made (ch. 2 Thessalonians 2:2). He is careful to guard against this possibility in writing to Thessalonica a second time. He calls attention, as he pens this attestation, to his handwriting, and gives notice that no document bearing his name will be genuine without this seal: which is the token in every epistle ("Paul's mark," as one might say) thus I write.

There was something peculiar and noticeable in the Apostle's penmanship, which could not he mistaken. Some infer from Galatians 6:11 that St Paul's script was distinguished by its large and bold appearance; but it may be that he used large characters in that passage for the sake of emphasis. Further allusions to the autograph conclusion are found in 1 Corinthians 16:21, and Colossians 4:18.