Free Bible Commentary
“1 Corinthians 16:5-9”
Categories: 1 Corinthians“But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia; and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I may go. For 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. But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”
---End of Scripture Verses---
As Paul begins to wrap up his letter he tells his brethren of his future travel plans. He had originally intended to visit them on his way to and from Macedonia (2 Corinthians 1:16). But he changed his plans in order to “spare them” his reprimands (2 Corinthians 1:23), and to give them a chance to work out their issues (1 Corinthians 4:11). He kept open the possibility of spending the winter with them (verse 6), but only if the Lord permitted (verse 7).
The Apostle gives us the perfect attitude and outlook on life to follow after with his words of verse 7. Making plans is a good and responsible thing to do and you know the old saying: “If you fail to plan then you plan to fail.” But we also must leave room for the will of God. Sometimes we make our plans and then life happens and we need to make the necessary adjustments without abandoning our faith and commitment to Him in the process.
The truth is that we never know what the next day, or even the next moment, holds in store for us. The best we can do is make our plans with the understanding that the Lord’s will may prove to be different for us. “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:13-17)
“A wide door for effective service has opened to me…” (verse 9). Do you look for opportunities (open doors) to serve the Lord by serving other people? If you will take the time to look for them, I promise you that God is opening them up for you. Pray for God to open doors for you to help others and to teach them the Gospel, and pray for eyes to see them and for the words to say. “There are many adversaries” that want to see you do nothing and to fail when you try. But if you are determined to serve the Lord no matter what man can do to you, the victory is already yours!
Please read 1 Corinthians 16:10-13 for tomorrow.
Enjoy this beautiful day that the Lord has made!
- Louie Taylor
