For a wide door for effective work has opened to me: Good News Bible‘s “there is a real opportunity for great and worthwhile work” makes the meaning of Paul’s metaphor clear. Other languages may be able to use different metaphors that have equivalent meaning. The image of the open door is used, for example, in 2 Cor 2.12. There Good News Bible has “way,” while in this verse it has “opportunity.” In each case Paul is speaking about an opportunity for preaching the Christian message.

For effective work may also be rendered as “for me to do an effective work.”

And (Good News Bible‘s “even though”) translates a Greek word commonly used to introduce a contrast. Good News Bible‘s translation is an appropriate one.

Adversaries refers, not to people who merely fail to accept the Christian message, but to those who actively oppose it also, as in Gal 5.17; Phil 1.28. There are many adversaries can be rendered as “though many people oppose me”; similarly New International Version; New Jerusalem Bible “there are many against me.” The Greek term is less strong than “enemies.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .