Paul suffers a great deal in his missionary work. He tells us that he was beaten with rods three times. This was a Roman form of punishment where guilty people were beaten with rods of birch wood. As a Roman citizen Paul should not have had this punishment, because it was against the law to scourge a Roman citizen. But in the heat of the moment when mob violence ruled there was no exceptions.
Paul also states that he received "forty stripes less one" five times. This was a Jewish punishment and Jewish law regulated the details. The penalty called for forty stripes (or whacks) but that the number should never be exceeded or the scourger himself would be subject to scourging. So they always stopped at thirty nine. Forty less one. One third of these strikes would be to the chest area and two thirds would be across the back. As hard as possible. If the person died during the punishment the scourger would not be liable. Unless of course he hits him too many times and then he have been permitted to leave town into exile. Paul suffered this punishment five times.
Paul also speaks of the dangers of the sea and the dangers of the ancient roads which were full of robbers and thieves.
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