Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
The Jewish leaders had me beaten five different times, and each time they gave me 39 lashes (they stopped at 39 because 40 would've been going too far by their law).
Paul took serious beatings for spreading the gospel, and he wasn't about to let that stop him.
📚 Historical Context
In the first century, the apostle Paul faced intense persecution from Jewish authorities as he traveled to spread the Gospel among both Jews and Gentiles. According to Jewish law outlined in Deuteronomy 25, a person could receive up to 40 lashes as punishment for certain offenses, but it was a common practice to administer only 39 to ensure they did not exceed the limit and violate the law. Paul mentions this specific experience in his letter to the Corinthians to defend his apostolic credentials and illustrate the hardships he endured for his faith.
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