What do you mean it’s going to be hard?!

Jun 16, 2026

Working Despite Adversaries

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But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, because a door of great opportunity stands wide open for me, but there are many opponents.

1 Corinthians 16:8-9 (NET)

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This probably feels like a strange verse for me to talk about.

For context, Paul is telling the Corinthian church about his plans for traveling soon.

In this case, stopping in the large city of Ephesus and doing ministry work there for a few weeks or months.

Why does he think the opportunity is wide if it’s also filled with many opponents?

That’s the question I’d be asking myself.

To me -- maybe to you, too -- a wide door of great opportunity would seem to not contain opponents. I would think that it would be smooth sailing.

And yet we see this strange attitude from Paul.

It’s a testament of his faith that he sees such a great opportunity and shrugs off the opposition.

The reality is that the Enemy will not give up ground easily.

If we’re doing great things for God, then we’re going to be taking some shots.

We should expect that.

Jesus Himself didn’t get through life on easy street -- we shouldn’t expect to either.

The challenge this verse stirs in me today is to look ahead at the opportunities God is giving me. Then see what the opponents might be … and open that door anyway.

Despise the opponents, fight through the adversity, and do something great for God.

— Ricky Ketchum

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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