1 Corinthians 16:9

1 Corinthians 16:9

I. "The door is great" by reason of the commanding position of Ephesus in Asia. To Ephesus, as the capital of the Roman province, and the centre of provincial life, there poured multitudes daily from every quarter of Asia. Hither Gentiles and Jews alike hastened continually on errands of business, religion, and pleasure. And the lecture room of Tyrannus welcomed all who came, whether attracted by curiosity or by love of the truth. By degrees St. Paul had gathered round him a band of evangelists who carried the gospel back to their own Asian towns. Thus, to those seven cities of Asia, and to others not numbered in the mystical seven, the faith was first brought; churches were planted and organised, or (to use the Apocalyptic figure) the Divine candlestick was set up, ministering the oil of grace through the golden channels of apostolic order, and burning brightly amid pagan darkness.

II. Thus, St. Paul's figure of a great door set open exactly describes his joy at finding the gospel penetrate so soon from Ephesus through Asia. But the metaphor gains a further significance when we look at the peculiar character of Ephesian paganism. At Ephesus heathenism is living, active, enthusiastic. The very strangeness of the worship, which may have once repelled the Western Greek, was now rather a help than a hindrance to its popularity, and suited the religious temper of the time. St. Paul confronted at Ephesus a heathen worship with ancient prestige, richly endowed, the centre of the great city's interests. And yet here, more than in sceptical, idle Athens, the gospel wins its way. Without blaspheming the great goddess; by reasoning of temperance, righteousness, and the judgment to come; proclaiming, by the facts of the Christian creed, the love of God the Father, the redemption by the Son, the regenerating power of the Spirit the Gentiles of Ephesus were converted and were baptized.

III. Who were the adversaries whose number and strength St. Paul so frankly avows? He had the deadly hatred of the Ephesian Jews and of the shrine-makers of Diana. It is singular that the most influential friends of St. Paul in his peril are men who were high priests of Cæsar's worship, men under whose guidance Athens was soon to forget her title of sacristan of Artemis in her pride of being sacristan of the Augusti. Cæsar is not one of those adversaries spoken of by the Apostle. Yet whatever comes, whether Cæsar be friend or no, the Church is safe in the hands of her Almighty Lord. He can open a great door and effectual, though there be many adversaries.

E. L. Hicks, Oxford and Cambridge Journal,Nov. 11th, 1880.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 16:10. F. W. Robertson, Lectures on Corinthians,p. 255.