Paul was flogged with rods in the city of Philippi. He turned this incident against his persecutors, using the opportunity to defend and legally establish the good news that he preached. He had been publicly beaten and thrown into prison, but when the magistrates found out that he was a Roman citizen, they were very fearful, for they not only had flogged a Roman citizen but had done so even before he had been condemned by trial. In this case too, Paul and Silas had been publicly displayed as malefactors. So when the magistrates ordered the jailer to release Paul and Silas, Paul replied: “They flogged us publicly uncondemned, men who are Romans, and threw us into prison; and are they now throwing us out secretly? No, indeed! but let them come themselves and bring us out.” The magistrates had to personally acknowledge their error. “So the constables reported these sayings to the civil magistrates. These grew fearful when they heard that the men were Romans. Consequently they came and entreated them and, after bringing them out, they requested them to depart from the city.” (Ac 16:22-40) Thereby, the preaching of the good news was vindicated as being no violation of the law, for the magistrates themselves, by taking this action, made it a matter of public record that Paul and Silas had done no wrong. Paul acted in this way because it was his desire ‘legally to establish the good news.’​—Php 1:7.

Romans used rods for beating, the outer garments first being stripped off. (Ac 16:22, 23) The Greek word translated ‘beat with rods’ in Acts 16:22 is rha·bdiʹzo, related to rhaʹbdos (rod; staff). (Compare 1Co 4:21, Int.) Both these Greek words are related to rha·bdouʹkhos, translated ‘constable’ in Acts 16:35, 38 and literally meaning “rod bearer.”​—Compare Int.