In 1866 Alfred Nobel invented an explosive made of nitroglycerin absorbed in a porous material. It was by far the most powerful explosive that had so far been invented.
When Nobel and his friends saw what his invention could do, and had to decide on a name, they sought for the strongest possible word forΒ powerΒ β in any language. The word they finally chose was the Greek wordΒ dunamis, from which our wordΒ dynamiteΒ is derived.
This word, in Greek also the strongest word for power, is used again and again in the New Testament and is generally translated simply βpowerβ.
When our Lord wrought miracles, for example, St. Luke testifies thatΒ βthe POWER [dunamis] of the Lord was present to healβΒ (LukeΒ 5:17). In promising His apostles that they too would work miracles, He said:Β βYe [shall] be endued with POWER [dunamis] from on highβ (Luke 24:49).
When the Sadducees questioned the resurrection, Jesus answered:Β βYe do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the POWER [dunamis] of GodβΒ (Matt. 22:29), and St. Paul declares that Christ wasΒ βdeclared to be the Son of God with POWER [dunamis]β¦by the resurrection from the deadβ (Rom. 1:4).
Using this same word, Paul, by inspiration, declares thatΒ βthe gospel of Christβ¦is THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION, to every one that believethβ¦βΒ (Rom.Β 1:16). This is because, according to this gospel, or good news,Β βCHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINSβ, andΒ βTHE PREACHING OF THE CROSSβ, he says, is to believersΒ βTHE POWER OF GODβ (I Cor. 1:18).
But not only are believers saved by the power of God; they areΒ βKEPT BY THE POWER OF GODβΒ (I Pet. 1:5). Indeed, the adjective of this same word βdunamisβ is used in HebrewsΒ 7:25, where we read that the Lord Jesus Christ isΒ βABLEβ¦TO SAVEβ¦TO THE UTTERMOST [THOSE] THAT COME UNTO GOD BY HIMβ. Thus the Bible uses the very strongest word for power to show how secure is the salvation of those who trust in Christ. source
