What other physical punishments did Paul endure besides the 39 stripes?
Besides the thirty-nine stripes, Paul endured three beatings with rods, was stoned once, and suffered shipwreck three times, including a night and a day in the deep. Scripture records only one stripe beating in Acts, indicating additional unrecorded suffering at the hands of Jews and Romans.
Les teaches that Paul’s list of sufferings goes beyond the one recorded instance of the Jews giving him the so-called thirty-nine stripes. Paul says he had five such times, then three times was beaten with rods, which was almost as bad, and once was stoned—the stoning being the event in chapter 12. Les also points out that Paul suffered at the hands of the Jews and the Romans and was shipwrecked umpteen times. He spent a night and a day in the deep, and though Acts records only one shipwreck, there must have been two other times he was dumped in the water. The same is true of the beatings: Acts records only one, but Paul testifies to more. Les reminds us that Paul covered Turkey and Greece mostly on foot, so his journeys often involved perils of water and many hardships.
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
More Questions
How many times was Paul given the 39 stripes by the Jews?
Paul says he received the Jews' thirty-nine stripes five times and was beaten with rods three times, yet the Book of Acts records only one of the thirty-nine-stripe beatings and only one stoning.