For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.  

For a great and effective door has opened to me,

The “door” is a metaphor for an opportunity. “Has opened” is literally stands open. The word “effective” denotes the wide scope of the open door; Paul’s ministry had great results. It was a great opportunity for effective work. Paul went where there was positive volition toward the gospel.

Paul remained in Ephesus for three years because of this opportunity to preach the Word, which was the second reason for staying in Ephesus. Ephesus was the second greatest city in the Roman world.

and there are many adversaries.

An adversary actively opposes the gospel. In Ephesus, there were “many” adversaries. These adversaries did not daunt Paul’s seizing the opportunity at Ephesus. Adversaries from the Temple of Diana (sexual temptation), Jewish synagogues, the authority of Rome, and the occult all opposed the apostle. There were adversaries to the gospel, but none of them panicked him.

Paul began to preach in the synagogue immediately upon his arrival in Ephesus. He was expelled from the synagogue, so he taught daily for two years in the Hall of Tyrannous. His ministry cut into the idol-making business of Demetrius and so interrupted the economy of the city, precipitating a riot. They hauled him into court, where the town clerk defended him. Ephesus became a great center of Christianity in the years to follow.

2 Co 1:8-10, ⁸ For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹ Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, ¹⁰ who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,

PRINCIPLE:

It is important to recognize open doors for ministry.

APPLICATION:

God will not open more doors if we do not enter into the doors we have at hand. We must enter the doors God presently opens. Great opportunities come from seizing on opportunities at hand.

Ac 14:27, Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

2 Co 2:12, Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,

Co 4:3, meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,

Re 3:7, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”