Pronounced as “doo’-nam-is,” the Greek term “Dunamis” refers to a (miraculous) power, might, and strength, as defined in Strong’s Concordance.
During my tenure as a pre-med student at Northern Arizona University, my foundational knowledge was built upon various scientific disciplines. It included inorganic and organic chemistry, zoology, botany, and microbiology, which ensured I spent countless hours in the library. In retrospect, my favorite basic science class was physics. It appealed to me because it laid down fundamental principles that made sense of all other sciences, especially the nature and properties of energy. One such fundamental concept is potential energy, the energy stored in an object due to its relationship with another. Consider the energy stored in a bowstring pulled back, ready to launch an arrow.
Upon graduation, we earned Doctor’s degrees and embarked on a journey to master compassionate and empathetic patient care, ultimately evolving into physicians. To me, being referred to as a physician is a greater honor as it signifies a healer. Our Lord Jesus, often referred to as the Great Physician, spent much of his ministry healing people. His healing power was frequently expressed in the New Testament using the Greek term “Dunamis,” which best translates to potential power. This word, used over a hundred times in the Bible, typically refers to miraculous healings and specific powers gifted by God through His Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:8).
In this context, Jesus’s power or potential energy is perceived as stemming from his relationship with the Father. He consistently emphasized the symbiotic relationship between faith and healing, implying that faith equals healing potential. A testament to “Dunamis” power is found in the story of the bleeding woman in the book of Mark. After years of suffering and unsuccessful attempts at healing, she places her faith in Jesus and experiences an immediate transfer of healing power (dunamis). Jesus, aware of this transfer, acknowledges that only true faith could’ve enabled this, and ensures this lesson is not overlooked by her, his disciples, or us in the present day.
The takeaway for those seeking liberation from addiction is that faith in Jesus as our savior unlocks the healing power of God’s Holy Spirit. Owing to your relationship with Christ, you already possess all the necessary potential power – dunamis.
Now is the time to transition this power from potential to actual. It’s time to release the bowstring and let the arrow fly!
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