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Daily Devotions

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 
Day 
Day 164

"Five times I received forty stripes minus one."

Text: 2 Corinthians 11:24

A MOVING TESTIMONY

If suffering is the badge of all great servants of Christ, Paul would have received one of the highest award ever! The following verses is an elaboration of what he had just briefly mentioned.

“From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
Three times I was beaten with rods;
once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked;
a night and a day I have been in the deep.”
2 Corinthians 11:24-25

1. “From the Jews”

a) This is a reference to the Jewish authorities.
b) They were deadly opposed to any teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ.
c) All of the apostles suffered under the Jewish authorities.

2. “Five times I received forty stripes minus one”

a) Jewish punitive laws set the limit of 40 stripes (at a single time).
b) The standard practice was to count to 39 times.
c) This was to prevent the danger of beating the victim to death.
d) Paul would have received 195 stripes!
e) How he could bear it is amazing!

3. “Three times I was beaten with rods”

a) This is similar to being beaten with the whip (stripes).
b) Arguably, this corporal punishment was even worse than being whipped.

4. “Once I was stoned”

a) This incident took place in Lystra (Acts 14:19-20).
b) After stoning Paul, he was dragged out of the city, because his persecutors thought he was dead.

5. “Three times I was shipwrecked”

a) Sailing was a known means of transport (besides travelling on the road).
b) But sailing was dangerous in those days.
c) The ships were not always strong and well-built; the danger of being shipwrecked was very real.

6. “A night and a day I have been in the deep”

a) If a ship were to capsize, then inevitably the passengers would be thrown into the deep sea.
b) Paul recalled a time when he was in the deep for a night and a day!

Few would be able to give such a stirring testimony! Yet Paul felt foolish in sharing these details!