Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
June 28th, 2008 - June 29th, 2009 was declared by the Catholic Church to be "The Year of Paul." You know you're a pretty big deal when people have to set aside a whole year to celebrate your awesomeness.
2 Thessalonians isn't the only book in the Bible that was written by an imposter Paul. Of the 14 books attributed to Paul, only 7 are his for sure: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon. 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews were almost definitely not written by Paul. Sorry, guys. Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians are in dispute, but generally don't get tacked into the Paul column either. (Source, p. 14.)
Paul uses the Greek word philadelphia when he talks about the kind of love Christian brothers and sisters should have for each other. Later, Quaker settlers would name a whole town in Pennsylvania after this concept. The nickname "The City of Brotherly Love" suddenly makes a whole lot more sense now. (Source, p. 1208.)
During a particularly nasty drought, folks in Wichita Falls put up signs that read "Pray for Rain," and cited 1 Thessalonians 5:17—"Pray without ceasing"—as inspiration. Hey, it can't hurt.