Word studies · Greek · Strong's G1411
δύναμις · dýnamis · appears 120 times in the New Testament
In one line: God's ability at work, including where you are weak.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
Dynamis is power as capacity to act — God's ability at work, and the might displayed in miracles and in the resurrection.
The New Testament uses dynamis for God's own power, for the Spirit's enabling of believers, and for miracles themselves, which are simply called “powers.” Paul locates it most sharply in the gospel, “the power of God for salvation,” and in the resurrection of Christ.
Dynamis comes from dynamai, “to be able,” and names ability rather than force — potential that can be exercised. Greek used it for the strength of an army, the value of a coin, and the meaning of a word, all senses of what something is capable of.
Preachers often note that dynamis gives English “dynamite,” but that is etymology running backwards: Nobel named his explosive from the Greek, not the other way round, and Paul's word means capability rather than detonation. The New Testament's own picture of divine power is a crucifixion — power that looks like weakness and is not.
Dynamis (G1411) appears 120 times in the New Testament and stands behind English “dynamic,” “dynamo” and “dynasty.”
Locating God's power in the cross and resurrection rather than in displays of force sets the Christian expectation: “my power is made perfect in weakness.” The same power that raised Christ is said to be at work in believers, which makes holiness a matter of God's ability before it is a matter of ours.
Stop asking only for strength to try harder, and ask instead for God's own power in the place you are weakest. Name that place today rather than working around it.
force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself)
Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?
Matthew 7:22At once Jesus was aware that power had gone out from Him. Turning to the crowd, He asked, “Who touched My garments?
Mark 5:30And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Luke 1:17and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:4For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18Press and hold power in any chapter and this study opens on the verse you are reading, with the lexicons, every occurrence and the commentaries beside it. The Bible is free to read.
Scripture quoted from the Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Strong's definitions are public domain. Counts come from The Pillar's own tagged text.