Signature

2 Thessalonians 3:17 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.

Signatures have been in the news lately, especially when it comes to absentee ballots. Part of the process of validating the eligibility of the vote is to check signatures against those that are on file with the board of elections. It must be done when voting in person, and I feel should be done when voting by absentee ballot. Equal treatment of votes.

But in some places that didn’t happen.

Signatures have been a part of identity verification for thousands of years. This isn’t something new. People have signed their names, used a signet ring to press an impression on wax, had their fingerprints examined for years. Although it isn’t perfect, it does help.

President Trump had a very unique signature. It looked like his personality: big, bold, complicated. No one would mistake it for anyone else’s. That is the purpose of the signature.

Even the Apostle Paul used his signature to validate the letters that he wrote. I would love to have a picture of it! That would mean we had an original of the letter. I could retire (Happy face)! Oh, I am retired already (Sad face).

What I find interesting is that he says this is the distinguishing mark in his letters. From what he wrote earlier (2:2), there were some forged letters being circulated, teaching some false doctrines. These forgers thought they could get away with their forgeries. Not so fast, Paul says.

Paul wants to establish a standard of validation for his letters, his own signature. He doesn’t want someone to be able to introduce error using his name. He wants to protect his identity. And we thought identity theft was a new thing!

Paul’s signature must have been somewhat unique in an unusual or unexpected way. We know this because the says, “This is how I write.” It probably looked very different from the writing in the letter itself, having followed the common practice of using a scribe to do the actual writing as Paul dictated.

Maybe he was left handed. Maybe his handwriting was closer to Hebrew style of writing rather than the Greek style of the letter. What is important is that he wanted these readers to be able to know the letter was from him.

We use encryption in emails that we want secure. Maybe this was Paul’s own form of encryption.

The letters that Paul wrote were very important to Paul. He gave his life for the message of the Gospel which he passed along in his letters.

What in your life has this level of importance?