Translations
Original
Notes
This greeting is in my own hand—Paul: The letter to the Colossians, like most ancient letters, was probably not written entirely by Paul himself. Instead, Paul likely spoke the words while a scribe wrote them down. This scribe is also called an amanuensis (a person trained to write neatly and clearly). To show that the letter was truly from him, Paul added his own greeting at the end in his own handwriting. This was his way of proving the letter was authentic and not a fake (compare Paul's comment in 2 Thessalonians 2:2).
Most New Testament letters end with greetings and mentions of co-workers and travel plans. But this section of Colossians is longer than usual. Since Paul could not travel, he might have wanted the Colossians to stay connected with his co-workers. This would help them avoid being misled by false teachers.
Parallels
People
Onesimus: Runaway slave, convert of Paul Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles, author of many NT epistles Tychicus: Faithful companion and messenger of Paul
Places
Colossae: City in Phrygia; recipient of Paul's epistle Rome: Capital city of the Roman Empire
Glossary
Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Letter to the Colossians Second Letter to the Thessalonians Writer