(21) The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.--It was the Apostle's habit to dictate his Epistles, but to add a few words at the end in his own handwriting. (See 2Thessalonians 3:17.) The concluding verses here are accordingly St. Paul's autograph. The earlier portions had been written by Sosthenes. (See 1Corinthians 1:1.)

Verse 21. - With mine own hand. Every one of St. Paul's Epistles, except that to the Galatians (Galatians 6:11), seems to have been written by an amanuensis. The blaze of light in the vision on the road to Damascus seems to have left him with acute and permanent ophthalmia as his "thorn in the flesh;" and this would naturally disincline him to the physical labour of writing. When he did write, his letters seem to have been large and straggling (Galatians 6:11), But this was an age in which documents were frequently falsified by designing persons, and this seems to have happened to St. Paul after he had written his very first extant letter. After warning the Thessalonians not to be frightened "by epistle as from us" (2 Thessalonians 2:2), he adds, at the close of the letter, that henceforth he intends to authenticate every letter by an autograph salutation (2 Thessalonians 3:17; Colossians 4:18; Romans 16:22). To this bad and dangerous practice of forgery is due the energetic appeal of Revelation 22:18, 19. A similar appeal to copyists, couched in the most solemn language, is found in Irenaeus ('Opp.,' 1:821, edit. Stieren), and at the end of Rufinus's prologue to his translation of Origen's 'De Principiis.'

16:19-24 Christianity by no means destroys civility. Religion should promote a courteous and obliging temper towards all. Those give a false idea of religion, and reproach it, who would take encouragement from it to be sour and morose. And Christian salutations are not mere empty compliments; but are real expressions of good-will to others, and commend them to the Divine grace and blessing. Every Christian family should be as a Christian church. Wherever two or three are gathered together in the name of Christ, and he is among them, there is a church. Here is a solemn warning. Many who have Christ's name much in their mouths, have no true love to him in their hearts. None love him in truth, who do not love his laws, and keep his commandments. Many are Christians in name, who do not love Christ Jesus the Lord in sincerity. Such are separated from the people of God, and the favour of God. Those who love not the Lord Jesus Christ, must perish without remedy. Let us not rest in any religious profession where there is not the love of Christ, earnest desires for his salvation, gratitude for his mercies, and obedience to his commandments. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ has in it all that is good, for time and for eternity. To wish that our friends may have this grace with them, is wishing them the utmost good. And this we should wish all our friends and brethren in Christ. We can wish them nothing greater, and we should wish them nothing less. True Christianity makes us wish those whom we love, the blessings of both worlds; this is meant in wishing the grace of Christ to be with them. The apostle had dealt plainly with the Corinthians, and told them of their faults with just severity; but he parts in love, and with a solemn profession of his love to them for Christ's sake. May our love be with all who are in Christ Jesus. Let us try whether all things appear worthless to us, when compared with Christ and his righteousness. Do we allow ourselves in any known sin, or in the neglect of any known duty? By such inquiries, faithfully made, we may judge of the state of our souls.The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. The apostle had an "amanuensis", that wrote the epistle for him; but to prevent counterfeits, and that the church to whom he wrote might be assured of the genuineness of the epistle, that it was truly his own, he wrote with his own hand his common salutation; see 2 Thessalonians 3:17, and which is not in the following words, but what is expressed in 1 Corinthians 16:23.