⁵But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia; ⁶and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I may go. ⁷For I do not wish to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits. ⁸But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; ⁹for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

Details often overlooked in the cursory reading of Scripture provide important historical markers that help us trace the apostle’s travels. Paul apparently wrote from Ephesus (vs. 8), probably on his third mission tour, during his two-plus years of teaching there. It had been about two or three years since he planted the church in Corinth. This fits the record of his movements in Acts 19–20, where he moved on from Ephesus after an extended time of teaching there and traveled to Macedonia and Greece (which includes Corinth).

His present travel plans were to stay in Ephesus for some time (“until Pentecost”) because of a fruitful ministry there and then to spend significant time through the winter in Corinth (not just a quick visit but “for some time.”)

In Paul’s earlier ministry, he sometimes took persecution as a sign to move on, but now on his third tour, in Ephesus, he was not to be deterred. Luke writes, “But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way … [Paul] withdrew from them … reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:9–10). Despite “many adversaries,” he had a “wide door … opened,” and he intended to make full use of it.

A fascinating study in itself is to trace Paul’s way of discerning the Lord’s leading in his life. Sometimes God led through vision, the greatest of which occurred at his conversion (Acts 9). His commissioning to missionary service came through an undefined communication of the Spirit through a group of five men (Acts 13:1–4). He was directed to change his travel plans by a vision at night to go to Macedonia (Acts 16:9). Yet we don’t see him sitting around passively waiting for the Lord to tell him, “Move!” He made his plans, as he explains to the Corinthians. He uses words like “I do not wish” and “I hope to remain with you.” But then he couches his plans in the phrase “if the Lord permits” (see James 4:13–15). In the normal course of Christian service we make our plans submissively to His silent guidance and redirection. Sometimes the Lord provides miraculous events, but mostly He guides through our maturing godly desires and reasoning couched in godly wisdom (see Ps. 37:4).

Lord, help me use every minute of the open door for ministry to greatest benefit.