Bible Strands
2 Corinthians 6:5
in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in labor, sleepless nights, and hunger;
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Corinthian congregation while defending his apostolic credentials against competing teachers. He lists his hardships to demonstrate that his service as a God’s servant persists despite external opposition.
The words — The Greek πληγαῖς (plēgais) literally means “beatings” or “stripes,” and φυλακαῖς (phulakais) denotes “imprisonments” or “guardings.” These terms anchor the verse in physical violence and legal confinement.
The thread — This catalog of affliction parallels Paul’s later defense in 2 Corinthians 11:23–27 and echoes the mob violence described in Acts 17:5. The pattern of enduring external chaos while maintaining internal spiritual discipline recurs throughout his correspondence.
Why it lands — The text states that apostolic legitimacy is proven through endurance rather than comfort. It requires readers to abandon prosperity-focused metrics for spiritual authority and to account honestly for their own sacrifices.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
Cross-references
- 2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking as if I were out of my mind.) I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.
- 2 Corinthians 11:27 in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.
- Acts 17:5 The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.
- Acts 19:23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
- Hebrews 11:36 Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
- Deuteronomy 25:3 He may receive no more than forty lashes, lest your brother be beaten any more than that and be degraded in your sight.
- 1 Kings 22:27 and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”
- 2 Chronicles 16:10 Asa was angry with the seer and became so enraged over this matter that he put the man in prison. And at the same time Asa oppressed some of the people.
- Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
- Jeremiah 33:1 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time: