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18. VALEDICTION
ἡ χάρις. Though ἡ χάρις is found at, or near, the close of each of St Paul’s Epistles, it is still true that “Hoc congruit cum tota epistola” (Bengel).
τοῦ κυρίου [ἡμῶν] (see Gal 6:14) Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. The full phrase occurs in Rom 16:20 (W.H. marg.); 1Th 5:28; 2Th 3:18 only. Compare also the note on Col 4:18.
μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν, Php 4:23; Phm 1:25[174] note; cf. 2Ti 4:22. St Paul’s usual phrases are μεθʼ ὑμῶν, μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν. The mention of πνεῦμα seems in our Epistle to be a final reminder that their true life lies elsewhere than in the σάρξ and things pertaining thereto.
[174] Is affixed to a word it means that all the passages are mentioned where that word occurs in the New Testament.
ἀδελφοί, Gal 1:11 note. Here only in the valediction. Ita mollitur totius epistolae severitas (Bengel). Similarly St Paul closes 1 Cor. with an expression of love for all his readers, in Christ Jesus. Thus our verse suggests even 2Co 13:13, the grace of the Lord Jesus [Christ], and the love of God the Father of all believers, and the fellowship given by the Holy Spirit.
The absence of any personal greetings is doubtless due to the same cause as their absence in Eph., viz. the fact that both Epistles are circular letters to several towns.
ἀμήν. Genuine at the end of an epistle elsewhere in Rom. only. Here it is due to the solemn earnestness with which he pleads. His final word is a prayer.