2 Thessalonians 3:17

“The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so. write”

“Salutation”: “This greeting” (NASV). “With mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so. write”: “Add this greeting in my own handwriting. It is my signature to every letter” (TCNT). “This authenticates all my letters” (NEB). “For proof that it really is from me” (Tay). See 1 Corinthians 16:21; Colossians 4:18; Galatians 6:11).

In view of the potential or possibility of counterfeit letters, Paul personally ended this letter in his own handwriting, which the Thessalonians could verify as his. Barclay notes, “Look, he says, ‘this is what my handwriting is like. Mark it, so that you will know it again'” (p. 253). The phrase "every epistle" implies that Paul wrote at least two epistles. Paul also notes that Paul wrote "epistles" (plural) (2 Peter 3:16). Erdman notes, “It must indicate, further, Paul's sense of authority and his conviction of the correctness of his teaching and of the importance of the messages which this letter contains” (p. 105). In addition, this final statement would prevent any of the idlers from saying, “We admit that the letter which was read to us during the service (2 Thessalonians) contained some rather uncomplimentary things with respect to us, but we do not believe that it actually represents the thought of Paul. We deny that he either wrote or dictated it” (Hendriksen pp. 208-209).