KOINE Greek - Power

The Greek word most often translated as power in the New Testament is dunamis. It’s a rich, layered word that carries far more weight than the English equivalent. When early Christians heard dunamis, they didn’t think of authority or dominance; they thought of divine energy — something alive, creative, and unstoppable.

Dunamis speaks of inherent power — the kind of strength that comes from within rather than something borrowed or imposed. It’s the root of our English words dynamic, dynamo, and even dynamite, yet it’s far deeper than raw force or explosion. It’s the God-breathed capacity to bring about real change — spiritual, moral, and physical.

When the New Testament writers used dunamis, they were describing the very activity of God at work in the world: the power that creates, heals, restores, and transforms. It’s not simply strength to resist; it’s strength to renew. It’s the life-giving essence of the Holy Spirit moving through ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Dunamis isn’t loud or showy; sometimes it’s quiet — the unseen power that gives peace in chaos or courage in weakness. It’s divine energy flowing through surrendered lives, the same force that raised Christ from the dead, now at work in those who believe.

So when we speak of the power of God, we’re not talking about a distant cosmic energy, but about His living presence — the dunamis that still breathes hope, still breaks chains, still creates light out of darkness.

Article written by Shaun Fereday, Prison Chaplain (Sessional) and Leader @SFGH Church