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(1).
The handwriting, `so I write'.
(2).
The form of salutation, `Grace ... with you'.
The apostle did not always call attention to the fact that he concluded
his epistles with a note in his own hand. He does in 1 Corinthians 16:21, `The
salutation of me Paul with mine own hand', and again in Colossians 4:18. The
form of the salutation varies in small particulars in the several epistles, but
always includes the words `Grace ... be with ...', no other apostle being
permitted by the Holy Ghost to end an epistle thus. As this is a matter of
first importance let us not begrudge the time spent in noting this evidential
feature, especially as Paul himself has been at pains to call our attention to
it.
`The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand'.
Romans.
`The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Amen'
(Rom. 16:20).
Repeated in his postscript (Rom. 16:24).
1 Corinthians.
`The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.
... The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
you ... Amen' (1 Cor. 16:21 -24)
2 Corinthians.
`The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of
God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you
all. Amen' (2 Cor. 13:14).
Galatians.
`Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
your spirit. Amen' (Gal. 6:18).
Ephesians.
`Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ
in sincerity. Amen' (Eph. 6:24).
Philippians.
`The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Amen' (Phil. 4:23).
Colossians.
`The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my
bonds. Grace be with you. Amen' (Col. 4:18).
1 Thessalonians.
`The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen'
(1 Thess. 5:28).
2 Thessalonians.
`I Paul add the greeting with my own hand, which is the
credential in every letter of mine ... May the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen' (2
Thess. 3:17,18 Weymouth 1909).
1 Timothy.
`Grace be with thee. Amen' (1 Tim. 6:21).
2 Timothy.
`The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be
with you. Amen' (2 Tim. 4:22).
Titus.
`Grace be with you all. Amen' (Titus 3:15).
Philemon.
`The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your
spirit. Amen' (Phile. 25).
Hebrews.
`Grace be with you all. Amen' (Heb. 13:25).
Here is a consistent witness, made even more definite by observing the
concluding words of the epistles of Peter, James, John and Jude. In this list
the epistle to the Hebrews finds a place, and while we do not limit the
evidence of its Pauline authorship to this one feature, an unbiased reader
cannot but feel that unless some evidence to the contrary is forthcoming, the
epistle to the Hebrews is as clearly signed by the apostle Paul, as any one of
his accepted epistles. If the word egrapsa be taken as the epistolary aorist,
then the actual words written with large letters will be the postscript
Galatians 6:11 -18. If, however, egrapsa refers to what has already been
written, then the apostle must be supposed to have departed from the usual