What does 2 Thessalonians 3:17 mean?
Based on this verse and other points of evidence, it's possible that false teachers had been sending letters to the Thessalonian church with the apostle Paul's forged signature. For example, in some of Paul's other letters, he mentions false claims about his teachings (Romans 3:8), or makes a point of noting that he's personally inscribing certain words (Colossians 4:18; Philemon 1:19). To assure the Thessalonians that this was genuinely his letter, Paul attached his signature to it. Paul's handwriting itself might have had a distinctive style that his associates would have recognized (Galatians 6:11).Paul included this kind of signature on other New Testament letters as well. These can be seen in Galatians 6:11, 1 Corinthians 16:21, and Colossians 4:18. Some scholars believe Paul suffered from an eye ailment or injury. It's even possible he received this handicap when an angry mob stoned him at Lystra (Acts 14:19). Others believe Paul may have contracted a serious eye disease in the lowlands of Galatia, where diseases of the eye were common. Second Corinthians 12:7 refers to Paul's infamous "thorn…in the flesh," which some think may have been eye trouble.
Sometimes Paul dictated his letters to a trusted companion but attached a few concluding remarks in his own handwriting. This would have been a common practice in the ancient day: such a writing assistant was known as an amanuensis. An explicit example of this is given in Romans 16:22. The Thessalonians would probably have been especially glad to see Paul's signature at the close of his letter.
