The teaching of the Bible is that God is omnipotent. For instance, the Bible says, “The Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (Rev. 19:6). The word “Omnipotent” comes from the Greek word παντοκράτωρ, meaning the “all-ruling, or absolute and universal sovereign.” This word is also translated as “almighty” (II Cor. 6:18; Rev. 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 16:14; 19:15; 21:22). God is totally sovereign over His creation. He is all-powerful. In the Old Testament, God is El Shaddai, the Almighty. God has all power and might. But what does this mean exactly?

The truly magnificent power of God can be shown in the many expressions of that power in Scripture. The most obvious example is the creation. God merely spoke the universe (all matter, space, time) into existence. God said, “Let it be,” and it was (Gen. 1 passim; Psalm 18:5). When we consider what modern science tells us about the size of the universe and the nature of our world, it truly boggles the mind that all this could come into existence merely at God’s command. I suggest you go to YouTube and do a search on the size of the universe to fully understand the extent of this power. Furthermore, He upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3). He never tires but has endless energy because the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is He weary (Is. 40:28).

Just as God created the universe and holds it all together still, He will also bring it to a conclusion one day. All the dead that have ever lived will be brought back to life in the resurrection. Every molecule, every atom, every thought, everything that makes up all people will be brought back and reassembled at the resurrection when all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and come forth – they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28-29). Such is God’s power. And just as easily as He created all things, so all things will be dissolved (II Pet. 3:8-12).

In the Old Testament, God’s power is manifested in so many ways. God destroyed the earth with a universal flood (Gen. 6-9). He confounded the speech of man and scattered man abroad over the face of the earth (Gen. 11). He enabled Abram and Sarai to have a son even though they were past the age of childbearing (Gen. 21; Rom. 4:17-22). He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain with fire and brimstone from heaven (Gen. 19). Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord (Gen. 32). God sent dreams to Pharaoh, and Joseph was allowed to interpret them (Gen. 40). God delivered the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage with ten mighty plagues (Ex. 7-11). He parted the Red Sea so that the children of Israel walked through on dry ground and destroyed the Egyptian army by collapsing the walls of water that stood on either side of them (Ex. 14). Likewise, He parted the Jordan so that the children of Israel could pass over to the promised land (Josh. 3-4). He caused the sun and moon to stand still (Josh. 10). Many were raised from the dead (e.g., I Kings 17). Oil was miraculously multiplied (II Kings 4). Elijah departed in a chariot of fire (II Kings 2). And on and on the list could go.

In the New Testament, God’s power is demonstrated in the miraculous, virgin birth of the Son of God (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1). God sent a star to show the way to where Jesus was born (Matt. 2). John’s birth was beyond the childbearing years of Elizabeth and Zacharias (Luke 1). The miracles which Jesus performed showed that He had power over nature (striking the fig tree dead, turning water into wine, walking on water, and calming the storm), over healing the sick (restoring a withered arm, restoring vision and hearing and speech, healing palsy, and various other diseases), over casting out demons, and over life and death (raising the dead). Of course, the greatest of these miracles is His own resurrection, proving His claim to be the Messiah, the Son of the Living God (Rom. 1:4).

Of course, the Bible goes further than just showing examples of His power. The Bible makes specific claims about the power of God. God is girded with power (Psalm 65:6). God’s power is not just limited to what we can imagine, for He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). His power is eternal (Rom. 1:20), and in Jehovah is everlasting strength (Is. 26:4). God can do whatever pleases Him (as it is consistent with His own nature – Psalm 115:3). What He says will be done; it will be accomplished as He pleases (Is. 55:11). All other power is dependent on His power, for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God (Romans 13:1). He does whatever He wills, and no one can stop Him (Dan. 4:35).

But the Scriptures are even more explicit. God asked this rhetorical question of Abraham: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen. 18:14). The answer is clear and obvious: Nothing is too hard for the Lord. There is no limit to His power. He asked Jeremiah the same question (Jer. 32:27), and Jeremiah expressly states that there is nothing too hard for the Lord (Jer. 32:17). The synoptic Gospel accounts all affirm God’s omnipotence. Jesus expressly stated that with God all things are possible (Matt. 19:6; Mark 10:27), while Luke expresses it from the negative: “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). God is omnipotent, all-powerful (Rev. 19:6).

We must point out that God is not merely more powerful than all others; He is all-powerful. It’s not the case that He can do merely many great things that others cannot do, but that there is no end to His power. His power is limitless. Just as His knowledge is limitless, His power is without limit. The difference between omniscience and omnipotence is only that omniscience must always be exercised to be knowledge (you can’t know something but not know it), while omnipotence does not have to be exercised to be power. For instance, a man may be able to power lift three hundred pounds, but he doesn’t always have to be lifting three hundred pounds to have that power. But a man cannot know “X” and then not know it and still be said to have that knowledge.

The God of the Bible is truly all-powerful. He is omnipotent. Next installment, we will discuss some questions that are raised by some with regard to the omnipotence of God.

Eric L. Padgett