21 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: 22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.
The epistle to the Ephesians closes in verses 21-24 with some simple housekeeping comments. There may not be any meaty doctrine to find here, yet II Timothy 3:16 remains true, and so we should not gloss over the verses as if they serve no purpose.
Most thorough study Bibles and commentaries will note that the epistle was penned by Tychius; those that do not comment on Tychius make no comment on the matter whatsoever, so so there seems to be no disagreement on the matter. It sounds here as if Tychius personally delivered the epistle to the Ephesians. While his physical service to the Lord was bound by time, God is still making use of Tychius’ faithfulness today: through this preserved epistle, we too know the affairs of Paul and our hearts are comforted, just as those of our Ephesian brethren so long ago. How encouraging to know that the dividends of our service to the Lord here on earth need not cease when we are called home to glory!
On occasion, skeptics pose questions about benign verses like this found at the end of many of Paul’s epistles. The skeptics claim that II Timothy 3:16 is nonsense – why would God include such banal details, and how could they possibly be used for doctrine, reproof, correction, or instruction in righteousness? What they fail to account for is that the Bible is not some sort of mystical text. Primarily, it is a history book. It contains the historical, factual details from God’s dealing with mankind through the ages, including the human details of His chosen human agents. Were such details removed, I have no doubt the skeptics’ pendulum would swing violently in the other direction, questioning the authenticity of an epistle that lacked such details, or claiming an editorial foul by the translators for the removal of such details. There is no pleasing those who refuse to believe the Book. I would also add that we dare not sit in judgment on what God deems relevant; if He inspired and preserved it, then it is there for a reason, even if we are too dim to see it.
23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Notice that, like the opening, the closing confirms that this is not to a particular church, but to any and all individuals who are part of the brethren and who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.
A brief study of Paul’s closing remarks can yield some small benefit here. Paul typically ends with some variation of the phrase “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”
Romans includes this standard phrase (16:24), but then continues on in verses 25-27 to discuss being established by Paul’s gospel and glorify God
I Corinthians 16:23-24 adds Paul’s love
II Corinthians 13:14 adds Father and Holy Spirit
Galatians 6:18 is addressed to “brethren” adds the audience’s “spirit”
Philippians 4:23 follows the standard Pauline pattern without any additions
Colossians 4:18 is abbreviated simply to “grace be with you,” notably written by Paul’s own hand
I Thessalonians 5:28 follows the standard Pauline pattern without any additions
II Thessalonians 3:18 follows the standard Pauline pattern without any additions
I Timothy 6:21 and II Timothy 4:22 include the same closing used in Colossians, but the second person plural “you” is replaced with second person singular “thee” because the epistles are written to a specific individual
Titus 3:15 is identical to Colossians, except that it adds the word “all”
Philemon 1:25 follows the pattern of Galatians 6:18, but without mention of “brethren” as it is written to an individual
Hebrews does include the abbreviated phrase like Colossians and Titus, which lends credence to the idea that Paul wrote the epistle in part or in whole, but as the authorship of Hebrews is debated even among Bible-believers, it will not be discussed at length here.
This brief study makes it plain that Paul’s closings are not entirely uniform, but often include some extra personalization for his audience. Ephesians, then, is unique in that it specifically addresses all who love the Lord.
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