2 Thessalonians 3:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.

NIV: I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.

NASB: I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write.

CSB: I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand, which is an authenticating mark in every letter; this is how I write.

NLT: HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING — PAUL. I DO THIS IN ALL MY LETTERS TO PROVE THEY ARE FROM ME.

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

NKJV: The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.

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.

Second Thessalonians 3:16–18 concludes Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians with a prayer, an assurance that his letter is authentic and not a forgery, and a benediction. The letter began with a condemnation of the church's persecutors, but it ends with a commendation, as Paul commends the church to the Lord and His grace.

Paul expresses confidence that the Thessalonians would do what he commanded. He addresses the sin of idleness in the lives of some of the believers at Thessalonica, commanding the church to avoid an idle brother. Paul also points to his own example of diligence, when he refused to rely on charity. Paul clearly separates charity for the needy from foolishly supporting those who are merely lazy: If anyone is not willing to work, don't feed him. The letter ends with a prayer for peace among the Thessalonian believers. Paul also assures his readers that 2 Thessalonians is authentic because it bears his signature.

The prior chapter explained the events which would precede the ''day of the Lord:'' a time of severe judgment. Among these were a time of deep spiritual rebellion and the rise of a figure referred to as the ''man of lawlessness.'' Chapter 2 ended with a reference to the Thessalonians being established in good works. This chapter continues that theme, focusing on the need for Christians to exhibit a strong work ethic. This extends to the way the church applies charity, not wasting it on those who are capable of work, but simply choose not to. These thoughts complete Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians.

Second Thessalonians follows Paul's earlier letter to the same group of Christian believers. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul had praised them for their faithfulness and given them reassurances about the day of the Lord. This included teachings on the rapture and a description of death as ''sleep'' from a Christian viewpoint. In this second letter, Paul corrects possible misunderstandings about those ideas. Among his teachings here are the importance of a good work ethic and God's impending judgment on sin, including judgment on those who persecute the Christian church. Paul also provides the Thessalonians with reassurances that they have not somehow missed out on Christ's return.