What's That Supposed to Mean Anyway?

Perhaps you have wondered what in the world the heading at the top of these sheets means. The phrase “so I write” comes from a relatively obscure verse. In 2 Thessalonians 3:17, Paul concludes his letter with these words: “The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.”
Normally, Paul did not hand write his letters. He would dictate them to a scribe hired to take dictation and write down the letters. Because this scribe, called an amanuensis, was doing the writing, Paul was free to think carefully about what he wanted to say and exactly how to say it.
In Romans 16:22, we even find the name of one of these scribes: “I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.” Although someone else did the writing for most of the letter, Paul always signed his letters in his own handwriting (1 Cor 16:21; Phlm 19; Col 4:18). This is what Paul is saying in 2 Thessalonians 3:17: “Here is my handwritten signature: Paul. This is how I write my epistles.” Why did Paul make it his habit to sign each letter with his own signature?
For one thing, Paul’s handwritten signature demonstrated his concern for the readers. Paul was not mailing out hundreds of letters bulk rate. Each letter demonstrated his genuine care and concern for each of the people in that church. This is why Paul speaks of being burdened with “the care of all the churches” (2 Cor 11:28). When those people grew in the Lord and glorified Him, Paul was thrilled. When they fell into sin and did not do what pleased God, Paul himself felt their hurt. He worried about them, he longed for them, he desired to see them glorify God and obey him.
I hope you realize the care and concern that your youth group leaders have for you. You may think we don’t care about you or we don’t want you to have any “fun.” You may not care for our personalities or the way we do things in youth group. You may wish we did things differently.
We are not perfect youth group leaders, but we do care for you in the Lord. We want you to please God. Nothing could make us happier than to hear that you are doing what is right, learning God’s Word, and obeying it. We regularly pray for each one of you individually and specifically. We try to make time to talk to you and to find out how we can encourage you in your spiritual life. We love you in the Lord and want you to follow him.
That is why I am signing this note by hand. I love each one of you and want you to know I care about you and your spiritual well being. This is how I write.