Colossians 4:18

Farewell

18. The salutation by the hand of me Paul Here he takes the pen from the amanuensis (see Romans 16:22), and writes the final words in autograph. In 2 Thessalonians 3:17 (" soI write") this is evidently done to warrant the authenticity of the letter. And see another reason, Philemon 1:19. But obviously it might be done habitually at the close of Epistles, for reasons only of care and affection; they would always value "his own hand." The "script" of St Paul seems to have been large and laboured; see Galatians 6:11; where render "in what large lettersI have written." (He seems to have written thatEpistle all in autograph.)

Remember my bonds The chain would drag and rattle as he took the pen. See note on Colossians 4:3 above.

Their "remembrance" would be shewn in love, in intercession, and above all in fidelity to the Gospel for which their Apostle rejoiced to suffer.

Gracebe with you This short benediction occurs elsewhere only at the close of 1 Tim., 2 Tim. As Lightfoot suggests, the more definite and developed phraseology, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christy, &c.," might in these later days of St Paul's ministry "pass without saying."

On the meaning of "grace," see note on Colossians 1:2 above.

Amen The evidence for omission here is considerable. See our note on Ephesians 6:24.

The Subscription

Written&c. Lit., To the Colossians it was written from Rome, by means of Tychicus and Onesimus. So in the Textus Receptus. Of other forms some omit "To the Colossians" ;some add, at the end, "and Timotheus." In our oldest mss. the form is the same as that of the Title (see note there): To (the) Colossians, or Colassians.

The Subscriptions (to St Paul's Epistles), in their longer form (as in the A.V.) are ascribed to Euthalius, a bishop of the fifth century, and thus to a date later than the earliest extant mss. (See Scrivener, Introd. to the Criticism of the N.T., ed. 1883, p. 62.)

The Subscription here is obviously true to fact, as are those appended to Rom., Eph., Phil., Philem., 2 Tim. Other Subscriptions are either (1 Cor., Gal., 1 Tim.) contradictory to the contents of the respective Epistles, or (Thess., Tit.) difficult to reconcile with them.

In philanthropy as in science there are three stages the prelude, the epoch, and the sequel. The prelude is a period of aspiration, and half-blind guesses. The epoch brings the expression of the truth to its highest point. In the sequel, the principle, once fixed in words, is extended and developed in practice. It would be no difficult task to apply the analogy to the influence of Christianity on slavery. As far as the Epistle to Philemon is concerned, the epoch has come.

Bp Alexander, in The Speaker's Commentary.

We are all the Lord's Onesimi.

Luther.