2 Thessalonians 3:16–18

3:16 Paul closes with a word of benediction, the third in this letter (cf. 2:16–17; 3:5). With “Lord of peace” we again face the question of whether Paul is referring to the first or the second person of the Trinity (cf. comment on 3:3), though perhaps here the Lord Jesus Christ is most in view (3:18). Paul specifically requests the “Lord of peace” to grant the church that very “peace” that is essential to the Lord’s nature. Paul similarly prays for peace to be upon the church in his conclusion to other letters (e.g., Gal. 6:16; Eph. 6:23), much as he often opens his epistles with a similar appeal (cf. comment on 2 Thess. 1:2). The Greek, like the English, emphasizes Paul’s request for God to apply this peace to the church in a comprehensive way (“at all times in every way”).

In addition to requesting peace, Paul follows a traditional Jewish blessing by requesting the very presence of the Lord to “be with” everyone in the church (cf. Ruth 2:4; 1 Sam. 20:13; 1 Chron. 22:16; 2 Tim. 4:22). Assuming from the context that “the Lord” likely refers to the Lord Jesus (2 Thess. 3:12, 18), it is remarkable to compare this with the OT, where similar benedictions consistently refer to Yahweh, the covenant name of the Lord God (cf. Deut. 2:7; 20:1; Josh. 1:9; Judg. 6:12, 16; Jer. 42:11; Amos 5:14). Paul’s use of a parallel expression for the Lord Jesus implies a very high Christology.

3:17 Much correspondence in antiquity was written with the assistance of a secretary, or amanuensis, who was trained in penmanship and Greek (cf. Rom. 16:22). Paul, however, interposes text in his “own hand” in this closing greeting. As observed above (cf. comments on 2 Thess. 1:1; 2:5), this indicates that the letter is fundamentally the apostle’s work, even though he includes Silvanus and Timothy as coauthors throughout. Paul may have feared that his opponents would attempt to falsify letters in his name (cf. 2:2), so he had developed this means of authenticating his letters (cf. 1 Cor. 16:21; Gal. 6:11; Col. 4:18; Philem. 19).

3:18 Paul commonly closes his letters with a brief prayer for the Lord’s grace to be with all of the church (cf. 1 Thess. 5:28). This standard closing would also serve as a mark of authenticity (like 2 Thess. 3:17). More importantly, Paul’s last words in this letter reemphasize his opening focus on grace (1:2).