"THE OPEN DOOR"

I Corinthians 16:5-13

Posted January 16, 2000
Dr. Arthur G. Ferry, Jr., Pastor

When Paul dictated these words he was nearing the close of 3 years' residence and ministry in the city of Ephesus (Acts 20:31). In his heart there was a desire to move on into Macedonia, and then to visit the church at Corinth. But while these other fields of service were beckoning him, he could not escape the sense of burden that God had given him for the city of Ephesus.

He said, "I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits. I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (vv.7-9). To him, Ephesus was an open door of service which he was loathe to leave before his task was done. Tho this great missionary strategist and evangelistic preacher, an open door was God's call to live, teach, and preach the Gospel. As he visualized the metropolis of Ephesus he could say, "a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (v.9).

Paul saw in the city of Ephesus:

I. A DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY

It is said that a pessimist is a person who sees a problem in every opportunity, whereas an optimist is a person who sees opportunity in every problem.

Historians have described the city of Ephesus as the "VANITY FAIR" of Asia Minor. To anyone who lacked a vision for the lost and a burden for souls Ephesus was a city to escape from; but, to Paul, Ephesus was a door of opportunity. Indeed, he speaks of:

1) THE MAGNITUDE OF THE OPEN DOOR.

"A great and effective door has opened to me" (v.9). As we have observed already, the apostle Paul was a strategist. He believed in capturing the great cities as centers of evangelistic endeavor and expansion. Next to Rome itself, Ephesus was such a city.

Geographically, it was strategic. It was the link between East and West and therefore, a gateway between the continents.

Commercially, it was strategic. It was known as "the treasure house of Asia." Businessmen from all over the world converged on Ephesus to ply their trade.

Legislatively, it was strategic. Here the Roman governor came as specified times to conduct the major trials and exercise justice.

Recreationally, it was strategic. One Pan-Ionian games were held here and thousands attended as spectators and competitors.

Religiously, it was strategic. The glory of Ephesus was the temple of Artemis or Diana. It was considered to be one of the 7 wonders of the world. Associated with this temple were not only gruesome forms of paganism, but also all manner of unspeakable immorality and sin.

To Paul, however, this fabulous city constituted a door of great opportunity. But with the magnitude of the open door, Paul also speaks of:

2) THE MINISTRY OF THE OPEN DOOR.

"A great and effective door" (v.9). The word "EFFECTIVE" is an unusual adjective to qualify a noun like "DOOR". It means "ACTIVE" and undoubtedly used here to describe the kind of activity or ministry which was open to the apostle. The 19th chapter of Acts offers a breathtaking account of the numerous activities in which Paul was engaged during his 3 years at Ephesus. We see him preaching and evangelizing, not only in the city itself but also throughout Asia Minor. Indeed, the 7 churches referred to in the Book of Revelation were undoubtedly founded during the apostle's stay in the metropolis.

We see him laboring as a teacher, lecturing in the school of Tyrannus for some 2 years. The only time he could secure this lecture hall was when business was ordinarily suspended. One text says that Paul taught from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., that he practiced his trade during the morning and preached the gospel during the heat of the day; yet crowds thronged to hear him.

We see him laboring as a pastor, shepherding the believers so that the strongest church of the first century was located in Ephesus. We see him laboring as a writer, and dictating what we know today as First Corinthians. Is it any wonder he said, "...a great and effective door has opened to me"?

Paul speaks not only of the magnitude and ministry of this open door but also of:

3) THE MIRACLE OF THE OPEN DOOR.

"A great and effective door has opened to me" (v.9). It is instructive to observe that the verb "opened" is in the perfect tense, suggesting the thought that the door stands open. Someone had opened this door for Paul and the apostle recognized that it was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. There was a time when Ephesus was closed to the apostle (Acts 16:6). For reasons known to God alone, he was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia.

Meanwhile, Paul had been prepared by a deepening work of grace and heavy persecution for the task that awaited him in Ephesus. He recognized that the door now before him was a miracle of God. Oh, that God would give us a similar vision of the open door of opportunity in the great cities of our land!

Researchers in the patterns of living have discovered that whereas, in the early years of this country, nearly 95% of the population was engaged in producing food on the farm, today only 7% remain in this calling; the rest of the population had been absorbed into the larger cities and areas which surround them. We are told that this trend will continue until the year 2,000, when nearly 99% of the nation's population will be found in the urban areas of the United States. What a challenge this should be to those of us who live in such cities. God open our eyes to the magnitude, ministry, and miracle of these open doors!

For Paul, Ephesus was not only a door of opportunity, but:

II. A DOOR OF OBLIGATION

"A great and effective door has opened to me" (v.9). As Paul lived for the Lord in Ephesus he became increasingly aware of the individual and inescapable obligations that were open to him. To him, the open door at Ephesus was:

1) AN INDIVIDUAL OBLIGATION

"a great and effective door has opened to me" (v.9). The tragedy with so many of us is that we never seem to realize our own personal involvement in the task of evangelism. With Paul it was different. He never expected anyone to shoulder his area of responsibility. As he looked out upon the city of Ephesus he knew in his heart that this was a personal obligation -- "a great and effective door has opened to me" Wherever Paul found himself it was always the same. Writing to the Colossians, he exhorts the believers to continue in prayer" that God would open to [him] a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ" (Col.4:2). This sense of obligation was intensely personal.

How relevant these words are for you and me! So often we lack this sense of responsibility for the evangelization of the world. You cannot do my work, and I certainly cannot do yours. Therefore, each of us is held accountable for the world we personally represent: the home, the school, the office. These constitute an open door, both of opportunity and obligation.

In addition to his individual obligation, Paul sensed;

2) AN INESCAPABLE OBLIGATION.

"a great and effective door has opened to me" (v.9). When a person opens the door for us we can do no other than enter it. This is how Paul felt. Addressing the church at Philadelphia, the risen Lord says: "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name...Behold, I come quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown" (Rev. 3:8, 11).

When the risen Christ sets a door before us He intends that we should seize the opportunity. Not to do so is to lose our crown of reward in a day to come. In terms of obligation, we are not only responsible to our Lord, but also accountable.

With the vision of the open door in Ephesus, Paul also had a vision of the open door in heaven. One day he was going to stand before his Master and answer for every hour he had spent in Ephesus. This is why he says in another place: "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12). How will you fare when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ?

One more thought must yet detain us. In Ephesus Paul saw not only a door of opportunity and obligation, but in the 3rd place:

III. A DOOR OF OPPOSITION

"A great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (v.9). Observe that the words "there are" are not in the original. The sentence more accurately reads, "a great and effective door has opened to me, and many adversaries." For the apostle Paul, the attraction to Ephesus was twofold: first, there was the open door inviting him; and, secondly, there were many adversaries.

As Dr. G. Campbell Morgan points out, "If you have no adversaries, you had better move on and find the places where you can get them. There is not much in Christian service if we do not know the power of opposition beating against us." In this very epistle Paul has already referred to fighting "with beasts at Ephesus" (15:32). He was under no illusions regarding satanic opposition. In fact, when writing to the church at Ephesus later on, he says, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).

To understand something of the opposition Paul faced we need to study the 19th chapter of Acts rather carefully. From these verses Luke tells us there were at least 4 subtle adversaries Paul had to confront in the course of his ministry at Ephesus. Each was arrayed in a religious garb, thus disguising its satanic source and force.

1) THERE WAS THE ADVERSARY OF RELIGIOUS NOMINALISM.

"Paul, having passed thru the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' And they said to him, 'We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit" (Acts 19:1-2).

These "disciples" were followers of John the Baptist. They knew something of the baptism of repentance, but nothing of the baptism of regeneration. In other words, they had never received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Such religious nominalism would have weakened the whole cause of Christ, had Paul not dealt with it.

We face the same problem in our day. There are tens of thousands of religious people who submit to the ordinances and disciplines of the church who have never been born again. How powerfully and subtly Satan has used this element in our churches to weaken the Christian witness! Let us beware, then, of the adversary of religious nominalism.

2) THERE WAS THE ADVERSARY OF RELIGIOUS ANTAGONISM.

When Paul "went into the synagogue [he] spoke boldly for 3 months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them" (Acts 19:8-9).

If the devil cannot weaken the church thru religious nominalism, he will resort to religious antagonism. The Savior confronted this adversary throughout His ministry. Indeed, it was the religious segment of the community that eventually nailed Him to the cross.

When the message of the gospel cuts across religious unregeneracy or dead orthodoxy, there is always antagonism. In this case, Paul turned from the synagogue and hired his own lecture hall to preach and teach the gospel. Make no mistake about it, religious antagonism is going to increase as the coming of the Lord draws near. Indeed, Jesus told His disciples to expect murderous persecution in the last days.

3) THERE WAS THE ADVERSARY OF RELIGIOUS OCCULTISM.

"Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, 'We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.' Also there were 7 sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so" (Acts 19:13-14)

Occultism was a regular trade in the city of Ephesus. It arose out of a belief that illness and disease -- especially mental illness -- were due to evil spirits who came and settled in a man or woman. If the sorcerer knew the name of a more powerful spirit than the one which had taken up residence in the afflicted person he would speak that name, and so compel the evil spirit to come out. In this particular instance, the sons of Sceva called upon the name of Jesus, but the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?' Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded" (Acts 19:15-16).

What an example this is of the cultism and fadism that prevail in our day! All across our country there are hundreds of false faiths that profess to know the true God and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ; yet they are nothing more than counterfeits of the real message of the gospel. Let us beware of the adversary of religious occultism.

In Ephesus Jesus and Paul were gloriously vindicated, demonstrating once again that God will honor the faithful preaching of the gospel.

4) THERE WAS THE ADVERSARY OF RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALISM.

"And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said, 'Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade" (Acts 19:23-25)

As we have already pointed out, the temple of Diana was one of the 7 wonders of the world. The worship of the goddess Diana attracted thousands of worshipers who invariably took little model shrines home with them as souvenirs. But such was the power of the gospel that this trade of religious exploitation was being threatened. Therefore Demetrius, head of the silversmith guild, created a riot in which Paul could well have lost his life. Yet once again God vindicated the honor and message of His servant and a tremendous victory was registered for Christ and the church in the city of Ephesus.

Religious professionalism is invariably associated with vested interests. Many people only show an interest in religion -- however pagan or orthodox -- in order to line their pockets or secure political power; but the message of the cross strikes right at the heart of this kind of business and sooner or later a riot ensues. For the real servant of God there is nothing to fear. With John the apostle he can say, "He who is in [me] is greater than he who is in the world" (I John 4:4). Paul believed this was such confidence and courage that he could say, "a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (v.9).

He welcomed opposition as an indication of an effective witness in the power of the Holy Spirit. How wonderful to know that "if God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).

So we see what Paul means by the open door. It is always a door of opportunity. We must not be blind to the possibility and potential of any given situation in which God places us. It is a door of obligation. Individually and inescapably, we are committed to do something about the door which the risen Lords sets before us. One day we shall have to answer for every open door that we have not entered with the gospel of God's saving grace.

Finally, the open door is one of opposition. This is how it has always been and ever will be. Satan is not going to retreat as long as the door stands wide open. Like Paul, we can say, "we are not ignorant of his devices" (II Cor. 2:11); and, again: "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds" (II Cor. 10:4).

As we face this community in which God has placed us, let us say with a sense of commission that a great and effective door is opened to us, and there are many adversaries. Nevertheless, let us be "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that [our] labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Cor. 15:58).

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