Paul received stripes and endured persecution because suffering for Christ was part of his divine calling, and he chose obedience over self-preservation. He did not seek suffering, but he embraced it as necessary to fulfill his mission, testify to the truth, and glorify God in weakness.
From the beginning, Paul was told what his calling would involve. After his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, the Lord said to Ananias:
“For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
(Acts 9:16)
Paul understood that suffering was not accidental but appointed. He later recounted the physical abuse he endured:
“From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned…”
(2 Corinthians 11:24–25)
The “forty stripes minus one” was a Jewish punishment based on Deuteronomy 25:3, where the law limited flogging to forty lashes. To avoid accidentally exceeding that number, Jewish authorities administered thirty-nine lashes. This happened to Paul not once, but five times, often because he preached Christ in synamagog/”>gogues and refused to stop.
Paul also suffered from Roman authorities. He was beaten with rods, an illegal act since he was a Roman citizen, which he eventually used to defend himself:
“And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison… and when they had beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans… they have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly?”
(Acts 16:23, 37)
Though Paul could have invoked his rights earlier to avoid the beating in Philippi, he allowed the injustice to take place, likely for the sake of the gospel witness to the jailer and the city.
Paul’s suffering was not for personal glory but for the advancement of the gospel. He told the Galatians:
“I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”
(Galatians 6:17)
And to Timothy, he wrote:
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
(2 Timothy 3:12)
Paul knew that persecution was inevitable for faithful ministry. He saw it as a way to identify with Christ, not as a curse but a privilege:
“For to you it has been granted… not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”
(Philippians 1:29)
By refusing to avoid persecution, Paul demons/”>demonstrated the power of the gospel. His endurance under pressure validated his message and strengthened the church. His example stands as a call to faithfulness in the face of opposition.
