Dunamis

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The Greek word 'dunamis' is used 120 times in the New Testament. Loosely, the word refers to “strength, power, or ability.” It is the root word of our English words dynamite, dynamo and dynamic.

Dunamis is not just any power; the word often refers to miraculous power or marvelous works (such as in Matthew 7:22; 11:21, 23; Mark 5:30; Luke 5:17; 9:1; 10:13; and Acts 8:13).

The Greek term exousia [ejxousiva] is most often translated "power" in the King James Version but it is almost always translated "authority" in modern versions.

Power is an inherent characteristic of God ( Rom 1:20 ). It is the result of his nature. God's kind of power is seen in his creation ( Psalm 19 ; 150:1 ; Jer 10:12 ). His inexplicable power is the only explanation for the virgin birth of Jesus ( Luke 1:35 ). Power is always a derived characteristic for people, who receive power from God ( Deut 8:18 ; Isa 40:29 ; Micah 3:8 ; Matt 22:29 ; 1 Cor 2:4 ; Eph 3:7 ), from political position ( Esther 1:3 ; Luke 20:20 ), from armies ( 1 Chron 20:1 ), and from other structures that provide advantage over others.

Power in the New Testament is used to describe the unseen world. The angelic realm is described as "powers" or "authorities" ( Rom 8:38 ; Eph 3:10 ; 6:12 ; Col 1:16 ; Colossians 2:10 Colossians 2:16 ). Jesus exercised power over the unseen world through his exorcism of demons ( Mark 6:7 ; Luke 9:1 ).

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