Forty Lashes Minus One
The Romans believed that 40 lashes was the maximum number of lashes required to kill someone. Five times, Paul says, he was given 40 lashes minus one.Can you imagine? If you, like me, live in America, you probably haven't had to endure any lashes for your faith, though in some countries, it is not only possible, but probable, that you have endured some kind of punishment, just for being a believer. As we go on in the passage in 2 Corinthians, 11, he lists some of the other things he has endured; the first being shipwrecked. Again, not something I have experienced, at least in the literal sense. But, if you have been a Christian for any length of time, you've probably been "shipwrecked". Perhaps, you didn't get that long awaited promotion at work. You were so sure you had it in the bag. You were just waiting for the day when the spot would be vacated by a retiree and then, bam!, out of nowhere, someone totally unexpected was chosen. Maybe, life was good