Once was I stoned.

–Here the Acts (

(25)–Here the Acts ( Acts 14:19 ) give us the solitary instance at Lystra. The accuracy of the Apostle in referring to this form of suffering, where we can compare it with the history, may fairly be urged as evidence of a like accuracy in his other statements.

Thrice I suffered shipwreck.–Again we have a picture of unrecorded sufferings, which we must refer either to the period of his life between his departure from Jerusalem (Acts 9:30) and his arrival at Antioch (Acts 11:26), or to voyages among the islands of the ‘gean Sea during his stay at Corinth or at Ephesus, or to that from Ephesus to Caesarea in Acts 18:22.

A night and a day I have been in the deep.–Taken in their natural sense the words probably point to one of the shipwrecks just mentioned, in which, either swimming or with the help of a plank (as in Acts 27:44), he had kept himself floating for nearly a whole day, beginning with the night. They have, however, been referred by some writers to a dungeon pit, like that into which Jeremiah was cast (Jeremiah 38:6), in which the Apostle was either thrown or hid himself after the stoning at Lystra. Bede (Qucest. iii. 8) relates, on the authority of Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury–whose evidence, as a native of Tarsus, has here a special interest–that there was such a dungeon known by the name of Bythos (the word used here for “deep”) in his time at Cyzicus, and, if so, it is probable enough that the same use of the word may have prevailed in other cities. So at Athens there was a dungeon known as the barathron–a word used also for a “gulf.” On the whole, however, though the conjecture is interesting enough to deserve mention, there seems no adequate reason for adopting it. . . .

Verse 25.

–

Thrice was I beaten with rods.

This alludes to scourgings inflicted by Gentile magistrates with the

vitis

, or vine stick, of soldiers, or with the fasces of lictors. Only one of these horrible scourgings, which likewise often ended in death, is narrated in the Acts (

Once was I stoned

. At Lystra (

Thrice I suffered shipwreck.

Not one of these shipwrecks is narrated in the Acts. The shipwreck of

A night and a day I have been in the deep.

An allusion, doubtless, to his escape from one of the shipwrecks by floating for twenty-four hours on a plank in the stormy sea. We have no right to assume that the deliverance was

miraculous

. The perfect tense shows St. Paul’s vivid reminiscence of this special horror. “In the deep” means “floating on the deep waves.” Theophylact explains the words

ἐν βυθῷ

to mean “in Bythos,” and says that it was a place near Lystra, apparently like the Athenian

Barathrum

and the Spartan Caeadas – a place where the bodies of criminals were thrown. The word does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament.

Greek

Three times

τρὶς

(tris)

Adverb

Three times. Adverb from treis; three times.

I was beaten with rods,

ἐραβδίσθην

(erabdisthēn)

Verb – Aorist Indicative Passive – 1st Person Singular

To beat with rods, scourge. From rhabdos; to strike with a stick, i.e. Bastinado.

once

ἅπαξ

(hapax)

Adverb

Once, once for all. Probably from hapas; one time.

I was stoned,

ἐλιθάσθην

(elithasthēn)

Verb – Aorist Indicative Passive – 1st Person Singular

To stone, pelt with stones. From lithos; to lapidate.

three times

τρὶς

(tris)

Adverb

Three times. Adverb from treis; three times.

I was shipwrecked.

ἐναυάγησα

(enauagēsa)

Verb – Aorist Indicative Active – 1st Person Singular

From a compound of naus and ago; to be shipwrecked, literally or figuratively.

I spent

πεποίηκα

(pepoiēka)

Verb – Perfect Indicative Active – 1st Person Singular

(a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

a night and a day

νυχθήμερον

(nychthēmeron)

Noun – Accusative Neuter Singular

A night and day, twenty-four hours. From nux and hemera; a day-and-night, i.e. Full day of twenty-four hours.

in

ἐν

(en)

Preposition

In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; ‘in, ‘ at, on, by, etc.

the

τῷ

(tō)

Article – Dative Masculine Singular

The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

open [sea].

βυθῷ

(bythō)

Noun – Dative Masculine Singular

The deep sea, the bottom. A variation of bathos; depth, i.e. the sea.

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NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)

This alludes to scourgings inflicted by Gentile magistrates with the, or vine stick, of soldiers, or with the fasces of lictors. Only one of these horrible scourgings, which likewise often ended in death, is narrated in the Acts ( Acts 16:22 ). We do not know when the others were inflicted. In any case they were egregious violations of St. Paul’s right of Roman citizenship; but this claim (as we see in Cicero’s various orations) was often set at nought in the provinces.. At Lystra ( Acts 14:19 ).Not one of these shipwrecks is narrated in the Acts. The shipwreck of Acts 27 , took place some years later.An allusion, doubtless, to his escape from one of the shipwrecks by floating for twenty-four hours on a plank in the stormy sea. We have no right to assume that the deliverance was. The perfect tense shows St. Paul’s vivid reminiscence of this special horror. “In the deep” means “floating on the deep waves.” Theophylact explains the wordsto mean “in Bythos,” and says that it was a place near Lystra, apparently like the Athenianand the Spartan Caeadas – a place where the bodies of criminals were thrown. The word does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament.

Present Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Continuous uses two auxiliary verbs together with a main verb.

In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the Present Perfect Continuous tense, as well as the use of for and since, followed by a quiz to check your understanding.

Note that continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses. So the Present Perfect Continuous tense is sometimes called the Present Perfect Progressive tense.

How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous tense?

The structure of the Present Perfect Continuous tense is:

subject
+
auxiliary have
+
auxiliary be
+
main verb

conjugated in Present Simple

past participle

 

have, has
been
present participle

The first auxiliary (have) is conjugated in the Present Simple: have, has

The second auxiliary (be) is invariable in past participle form: been

The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing

For negative sentences we insert not after the first auxiliary verb.

For question sentences, we exchange the subject and first auxiliary verb.

Look at these example sentences with the Present Perfect Continuous tense:

 
subject
auxiliary verb
 
auxiliary verb
main verb
 

+
I
have
 
been
waiting
for one hour.

+
You
have
 
been
talking
too much.

–
It
has
not
been
raining.
 

–
We
have
not
been
playing
football.

?
Have
you
 
been
seeing
her?

?
Have
they
 
been
doing
their homework?

Contraction with Present Perfect Continuous

When we use the Present Perfect Continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and the first auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this in informal writing.

I have been
I’ve been

You have been
You’ve been

He has been
She has been
It has been
John has been
The car has been
He’s been
She’s been
It’s been
John’s been
The car’s been

We have been
We’ve been

They have been
They’ve been

• I’ve been reading.
• Jenny’s been helping us recently.

In negative sentences, we may contract the first auxiliary verb and “not”:

• I haven’t been playing tennis.
• It hasn’t been snowing.

How do we use the Present Perfect Continuous tense?

This tense is called the Present Perfect Continuous tense. There is usually a connection with the present or now.

We use the Present Perfect Continuous to talk about:

• past action recently-stopped
• past action still-continuing

Present Perfect Continuous for past action just stopped

We use the Present Perfect Continuous tense to talk about action that started in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a result now.

I’m tired because I‘ve been running.

past
present
future

!!!
 

Recent action
Result now
 

• I’m tired [now] because I‘ve been running.
• Why is the grass wet [now]? Has it been raining?
• You don’t understand [now] because you haven’t been listening.

Present Perfect Continuous for past action continuing now

We use the Present Perfect Continuous tense to talk about action that started in the past and is continuing now. This is often used with for or since.

I have been reading for 2 hours.

past
present
future

 

Action started in past.
Action is continuing now.
 

• I have been reading for 2 hours. (I am still reading now.)
• We‘ve been studying since 9 o’clock. (We’re still studying now.)
• How long have you been learning English? (You are still learning now.)
• We have not been smoking. (And we are not smoking now.)

For and Since with Present Perfect Continuous tense

We often use for and since with perfect tenses:

• We use for to talk about a period of time: three hours, two months, one decade
• We use since to talk about a point in past time: 9 o’clock, 1st January, Monday

for
since

a period of time
a point in past time
– – – – – – – – – – – –
– • – – – – – – – – – –

30 minutes
10.00am

four days
Friday

3 months
March

2 years
2010

3 centuries
1700

ages
I left school

ever
the beginning of time

etc
etc

Look at these example sentences using for and since with the Present Perfect Continuous tense:

• I have been studying for three hours.
• I have been watching TV since 7pm.
• Tara hasn’t been feeling well for two weeks.
• Tara hasn’t been visiting us since March.
• He has been playing football for a long time.
• He has been living in Bangkok since he left school.

For can be used with all tenses. Since is usually used with perfect tenses only.

Back to 12 English Tenses