signals the concluding section of a New Testament letter (4:8; see 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 6:10), although this is not always the case (1 Thess. 4:1). It is possible that Paul was interrupted or had intended to end the epistle, but then decided to develop another line of thought. More likely, because of the thematic relationship between chapter 3 and what precedes it (esp. 1:27–30), “finally” should be understood as transitional (1 Thess. 4:1) meaning “furthermore” or “in addition.” The element of joy