Bible Thesaurus: Power

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Thesaurus

Power (862 Occurrences)
... capacity for action or performance; capability of producing an effect, whether physical
or moral: potency; might; as, a man of great power; the power of ...
/p/power.htm - 66k

Virtue (21 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) Active quality or power; capacity or power adequate to the production of
a given effect; energy; strength; potency; efficacy; as, the virtue of a ...
/v/virtue.htm - 16k

Charm (5 Occurrences)
... incantation. 3. (n.) That which exerts an irresistible power to please and
attract; that which fascinates; any alluring quality. 4 ...
/c/charm.htm - 14k

Stretched-out (21 Occurrences)
... (BBE DBY YLT). Deuteronomy 9:29 But still they are your people and your heritage,
whom you took out by your great power and by your stretched-out arm. ...
/s/stretched-out.htm - 13k

Capacity (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The power of receiving or containing; extent of
room or space; passive power; -- used in reference to physical things. ...
/c/capacity.htm - 8k

Attraction (3 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) An invisible power in a body by which it draws anything to itself; the power
in nature acting mutually between bodies or ultimate particles, tending to ...
/a/attraction.htm - 8k

Surrender (18 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To yield to the power of another; to give or deliver up possession of (anything)
upon compulsion or demand; as, to surrender one's person to an enemy ...
/s/surrender.htm - 13k

Scorched (21 Occurrences)
... Revelation 16:9 People were scorched with great heat, and people blasphemed
the name of God who has the power over these plagues. ...
/s/scorched.htm - 12k

Ability (34 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) The quality or state of being able; power to perform,
whether physical, moral, intellectual, conventional, or legal; capacity ...
/a/ability.htm - 18k

Agent (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Acting; -- opposed to patient, or sustaining,
action. 2. (n.) One who exerts power, or has the power to act; an actor. ...
/a/agent.htm - 8k

Bible Concordance

Power (862 Occurrences)

Matthew 4:24 And news of him went out through all Syria; and they took to him all who were ill with different diseases and pains, those having evil spirits and those who were off their heads, and those who had no power of moving. And he made them well.
(BBE)

Matthew 6:13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.'
(WEB KJV WBS YLT NAS)

Matthew 7:22 A great number will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, were we not prophets in your name, and did we not by your name send out evil spirits, and by your name do works of power?
(BBE DBY)

Matthew 8:2 And a leper came and gave him worship, saying, Lord, if it is your pleasure, you have power to make me clean.
(BBE)

Matthew 8:6 Saying, Lord, my servant is ill in bed at the house, with no power in his body, and in great pain.
(BBE)

Matthew 9:2 And they took to him a man stretched on a bed who had no power of moving; and Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man who was ill, Son, take heart; you have forgiveness for your sins.
(BBE)

Matthew 9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
(KJV DBY WBS YLT)

Matthew 9:8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
(KJV WEY DBY WBS YLT)

Matthew 9:32 And while they were going away, there came to him a man without the power of talking, and with an evil spirit.
(BBE)

Matthew 9:33 And when the evil spirit had been sent out, the man had the power of talking: and they were all surprised, saying, Such a thing has never been seen in Israel.
(BBE)

Matthew 9:34 But the Pharisees maintained, "It is by the power of the Prince of the demons that he drives out the demons."
(WEY)

Matthew 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
(KJV BBE DBY WBS YLT)

Matthew 11:20 Then he went on to say hard things to the towns where most of his works of power were done, because they had not been turned from their sins.
(BBE DBY)

Matthew 11:23 And you, Capernaum, were you not to be lifted up to heaven? you will go down into hell: for if the works of power which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have been here to this day.
(BBE DBY)

Matthew 12:22 Then they took to him one with an evil spirit, who was blind and had no power of talking: and he made him well so that he had the power of talking and seeing.
(BBE)

Matthew 12:24 The Pharisees heard it and said, "This man only expels demons by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of demons."
(WEY)

Matthew 12:27 And if it is by Baal-zebul's power that I expel the demons, by whose power do your disciples expel them? They therefore shall be your judges.
(WEY)

Matthew 12:28 But if it is by the power of the Spirit of God that I expel the demons, it is evident that the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
(WEY)

Matthew 13:54 And He came into His own country and proceeded to teach in their synagogue, so that they were filled with astonishment and exclaimed, "Where did he obtain such wisdom, and these wondrous powers?
(Root in WEY BBE DBY NAS NIV)

Matthew 13:58 And the works of power which he did there were small in number because they had no faith.
(BBE DBY)

Matthew 14:2 and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him."
(Root in WEB WEY ASV BBE DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 15:31 So that the people were full of wonder when they saw that those who had no voice were talking, the feeble were made strong, those whose bodies were broken had the power of walking, and the blind were able to see: and they gave glory to the God of Israel.
(BBE)

Matthew 21:15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the works of power which he did, and the children crying out in the Temple, Glory to the son of David, they were angry and said to him,
(BBE)

Matthew 21:43 "That, I tell you, is the reason why the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to a nation that will exhibit the power of it.
(WEY)

Matthew 22:29 But Jesus answered them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 24:30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Matthew 26:4 and consulted how to get Jesus into their power by stratagem and put Him to death.
(WEY)

Matthew 26:64 Jesus said to him, "You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky."
(WEB KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
(KJV WEY DBY WBS)

Mark 1:23 when all at once, there in their synagogue, a man under the power of a foul spirit screamed out:
(WEY)

Mark 1:40 And a leper came to him and, going down on his knees before him, made a request, saying, If it is your pleasure, you have the power to make me clean.
(BBE)

Mark 2:3 And four men came to him with one on a bed who had no power of moving.
(BBE)

Mark 2:10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
(KJV DBY WBS)

Mark 3:15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
(KJV BBE DBY WBS YLT)

Mark 3:22 The Scribes, too, who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Baal-zebul in him; and it is by the power of the Prince of the demons that he expels the demons."
(WEY)

Mark 5:30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
(WEB WEY ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 6:2 And when the Sabbath day had come, he was teaching in the Synagogue; and a number of people hearing him were surprised, saying, From where did this man get these things? and, What is the wisdom given to this man, and what are these works of power done by his hands?
(BBE DBY)

Mark 6:5 And he was unable to do any work of power there, but only to put his hands on one or two persons who were ill, and make them well.
(BBE DBY)

Mark 6:7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
(KJV DBY WBS YLT)

Mark 6:14 King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, "John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."
(Root in WEB ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 7:32 And they came to him with one who had no power of hearing and had trouble in talking; and they made a request to him to put his hands on him.
(BBE)

Mark 7:37 And they were overcome with wonder, saying, He has done all things well: he even gives back the power of hearing and the power of talking to those who have been without them.
(BBE)

Mark 9:1 He said to them, "Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see the Kingdom of God come with power."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 9:17 And one of the number said to him in answer, Master, I came to you with my son, who has in him a spirit which takes away his power of talking;
(BBE)

Mark 9:18 and wherever it comes upon him, it dashes him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and he is pining away. I begged your disciples to expel it, but they had not the power."
(WEY)

Mark 12:24 Jesus answered them, "Isn't this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God?
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 13:26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Mark 14:62 Jesus said, "I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Luke 1:17 He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah,'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 1:35 The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 1:37 For no word from God shall be void of power.
(ASV)

Luke 1:51 With his arm he has done acts of power; he has put to flight those who have pride in their hearts.
(BBE YLT)

Luke 1:71 To deliver us from our foes and from the power of all who hate us.
(WEY)

Luke 1:74 To grant us to be rescued from the power of our foes And so render worship to Him free from fear,
(WEY)

Luke 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
(KJV DBY WBS)

Luke 4:14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 4:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.
(KJV WBS)

Luke 4:36 Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!"
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 5:12 And it came about that while he was in one of the towns, there was a leper there: and when he saw Jesus he went down on his face in prayer to him, saying, Lord, if it is your pleasure, you have power to make me clean.
(BBE)

Luke 5:17 It happened on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 5:18 And some men had with them, on a bed, a man who was ill, without power of moving; and they made attempts to get him in and put him before Jesus.
(BBE)

Luke 5:24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
(KJV DBY WBS)

Luke 6:19 All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
(WEB WEY ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 7:22 And answering them he said, Go back and give news to John of what you have seen, and the things which have come to your ears; the blind now see, those who had no power in their legs are walking, lepers are made clean, those who had no hearing now have their ears open, dead men come to life again, and the poor have the good news given to them.
(BBE)

Luke 8:46 But Jesus said, "Someone did touch me, for I perceived that power has gone out of me."
(WEB WEY ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 9:1 He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 9:43 And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
(KJV WEY BBE WBS)

Luke 10:13 A curse is on you, Chorazin! A curse is on you, Beth-saida! For if such works of power had been done in Tyre and Sidon as have been done in you, they would have been turned from their sins, in days gone by, seated in the dust.
(BBE DBY)

Luke 10:17 And the seventy came back with joy, saying, Lord, even the evil spirits are under our power in your name.
(BBE)

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 10:20 Do not be glad, however, because you have power over spirits, but because your names are recorded in heaven.
(BBE)

Luke 11:14 And he was sending an evil spirit out of a man who was without the power of talking. And it came about that when the spirit had gone the man had the power of talking; and the people were full of wonder.
(BBE)

Luke 11:15 But some among them said, "It is by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of the demons, that he expels the demons."
(WEY)

Luke 11:18 And if Satan really has engaged in fierce conflict with himself, how shall his kingdom stand?--because you say that I expel demons by the power of Baal-zebul.
(WEY)

Luke 11:19 And if it is by the power of Baal-zebul that I expel the demons, by whom do your disciples expel them? They therefore shall be your judges.
(WEY)

Luke 11:20 But if it is by the power of God that I drive out the demons, it is evident that the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
(WEY)

Luke 12:5 But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him, who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE WBS RSV NIV)

Luke 12:58 For when, with your opponent, you are going before the magistrate, on the way take pains to get out of his power; for fear that, if he should drag you before the judge, the judge may hand you over to the officer of the court, and the officer lodge you in prison.
(WEY)

Luke 13:16 And is it not right for this daughter of Abraham, who has been in the power of Satan for eighteen years, to be made free on the Sabbath?
(BBE)

Luke 20:20 They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
(WEB KJV WEY BBE DBY WBS NIV)

Luke 20:36 And death has no more power over them, for they are equal to the angels, and are sons of God, being of those who will come back from the dead.
(BBE)

Luke 21:27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 22:53 When I was with you in the temple daily, you didn't stretch out your hands against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Luke 22:69 From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God."
(WEB KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Luke 24:49 Behold, I send forth the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
(KJV WBS RSV)

John 2:11 This, the first of His miracles, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee, and thus displayed His glorious power; and His disciples believed in Him.
(WEY)

John 5:3 In these doorways there were a great number of people with different diseases: some unable to see, some without the power of walking, some with wasted bodies.
(BBE)

John 6:65 And he said, This is why I said to you, No man is able to come to me if he is not given the power to do so by the Father.
(BBE)

John 10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father."
(WEB KJV ASV BBE WBS RSV)

John 10:39 This made them once more try to arrest Him, but He withdrew out of their power.
(WEY)

John 14:30 After this I will not say much to you, because the ruler of this world comes: and he has no power over me;
(BBE RSV)

John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
(KJV WBS RSV)

John 17:11 I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.
(See NIV)

John 18:31 "Take him yourselves," said Pilate, "and judge him by your Law." "We have no power," replied the Jews, "to put any man to death."
(WEY)

John 19:10 Pilate therefore said to him, "Aren't you speaking to me? Don't you know that I have power to release you, and have power to crucify you?"
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE WBS RSV NIV)

John 19:11 Jesus answered, "You would have no power at all against me, unless it were given to you from above. Therefore he who delivered me to you has greater sin."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE WBS RSV NIV)

Acts 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
(KJV WBS)

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Acts 2:4 And they were all full of the Holy Spirit, and were talking in different languages, as the Spirit gave them power.
(BBE)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Power

For the use of this word in 1 1 Corinthians 11:10, see VEIL.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) Same as the fish.

2. (n.) Ability to act, regarded as latent or inherent; the faculty of doing or performing something; capacity for action or performance; capability of producing an effect, whether physical or moral: potency; might; as, a man of great power; the power of capillary attraction; money gives power.

3. (n.) Ability, regarded as put forth or exerted; strength, force, or energy in action; as, the power of steam in moving an engine; the power of truth, or of argument, in producing conviction; the power of enthusiasm.

4. (n.) Capacity of undergoing or suffering; fitness to be acted upon; susceptibility; -- called also passive power; as, great power of endurance.

5. (n.) The exercise of a faculty; the employment of strength; the exercise of any kind of control; influence; dominion; sway; command; government.

6. (n.) The agent exercising an ability to act; an individual invested with authority; an institution, or government, which exercises control; as, the great powers of Europe; hence, often, a superhuman agent; a spirit; a divinity.

7. (n.) A military or naval force; an army or navy; a great host.

8. (n.) A large quantity; a great number; as, a power o/ good things.

9. (n.) The rate at which mechanical energy is exerted or mechanical work performed, as by an engine or other machine, or an animal, working continuously; as, an engine of twenty horse power.

10. (n.) A mechanical agent; that from which useful mechanical energy is derived; as, water power; steam power; hand power, etc.

11. (n.) Applied force; force producing motion or pressure; as, the power applied at one and of a lever to lift a weight at the other end.

12. (n.) A machine acted upon by an animal, and serving as a motor to drive other machinery; as, a dog power.

13. (n.) The product arising from the multiplication of a number into itself; as, a square is the second power, and a cube is third power, of a number.

14. (n.) Mental or moral ability to act; one of the faculties which are possessed by the mind or soul; as, the power of thinking, reasoning, judging, willing, fearing, hoping, etc.

15. (n.) The degree to which a lens, mirror, or any optical instrument, magnifies; in the telescope, and usually in the microscope, the number of times it multiplies, or augments, the apparent diameter of an object; sometimes, in microscopes, the number of times it multiplies the apparent surface.

16. (n.) An authority enabling a person to dispose of an interest vested either in himself or in another person; ownership by appointment.

17. (n.) Hence, vested authority to act in a given case; as, the business was referred to a committee with power.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

KEYS, POWER OF THE

kez

I. THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED

1. The Keys; and the Binding and Loosing

2. Meaning of the Statements

3. How Peter Is Related to These Powers

4. Is the Primary Idea that of Position and Authority?

II. VIEWS MAINTAINED

1. Agent of the Power

2. Nature of the Power

3. Scope of the Power

III. DATA FOR DECIDING THE QUESTIONS INVOLVED

1. Passages Employing the Terms "Key," "Binding and Loosing"

2. Related Passages

3. Examples of Exercise of This Power

IV. CONCLUSION

1. Nature of the Power

2. Agent of the Power

3. Scope of the Power

There is no more stubbornly contested conception in Christian terminology. The thought connects itself immediately with Matthew 16:19, but it is hardly correct to say that it originates there, for the controversy is one that grows out of the conflict of forces inherent in the institutional development of religion and of society. It must have arisen, in any event, if there had been no such word as that in Matthew 16:19, although not in the same terms as it is now found. Since the Reformation it has been recognized, by Catholic and Protestant, that on the interpretation of this passage depends the authority of the Church of Rome and its exclusive claims, so far as their foundation in Scripture is concerned; while on the other hand there is involved the "validity" of the "sacraments," "ordinances" and "orders" of Protestantism and the very hope of salvation of Protestants.

I. The Problems Involved.

1. The Keys; and the Binding and Loosing:

The crucial passage has two declarations, commonly spoken of as promises to Peter: to him Christ will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, while whatsoever he shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. How are the facts of having committed to him the keys and the function of binding and loosing related? Are they two forms of one declaration? Is the first general, and the second a specific sphere of its application?

Both statements are made in figurative terms. That of the keys is supposed to be drawn from the duties of the chief steward of a house, or establishment. The idea of the keys of a city turned over to some distinguished person is advanced, but is hardly to be considered. We need, then, to know the functions of the chief steward and how they apply to the kingdom of heaven, and to Peter as its steward.

2. Meaning of the Statements:

What was Peter to bind and loose, men or things, persons or teachings? Numerous examples could be cited of the use of these terms to signify forbidding (binding) and permitting (loosing) conduct as legitimate under the law of the Old Testament (Lightfoot, McClintock and Strong, Schaff-Herzog, Hastings, etc.). The strict school of Shammai bound many things loosed by the laxer school of Hillel (Broadus, Matthew). Is this conclusive that Jesus is here giving Peter authority for "laying down the law for his fellow-disciples," "authority to say what the law of God allows, and what it forbids," "the power of legislation for the church"? (Compare Mason in Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible (five volumes), IV, 30.)

3. How Peter Is Related to These Powers:

Ecclesiastical contentions turn especially on Peter's relation to these words of Jesus. Do they signify powers and "privileges" conferred on Peter, exclusively or representatively? Are they official or personal? Do they belong to other apostles, and to other officers besides apostles? Can the powers be exercised by individuals or by the church alone? If any besides Peter have these powers, do they pass to them from Peter, and how?

4. Is the Primary Idea That of Position and Authority?:

What seems to the writer a fundamental question here is either passed over very lightly or entirely omitted in the discussions of this subject. Did Jesus mean by these words to confer on Peter, or on anyone to whom they may apply, authority, or obligation; privilege, or responsibility? Does He promise position, or does He impose duty? These alternatives are not necessarily exclusive, but the interpretation of the thought will be determined in no small measure by where the stress is laid.

II. Views Maintained.

1. Agent of the Power:

The possibilities have been exhausted in the interpretations and applications advocated. It is not possible to classify on lines of the creeds, except very generally, for there is little uniformity of view existing within the various communions.

(1) Generally speaking, the Roman Catholic church gives to Peter a unique position. Her theologians also agree that all the powers and privileges of Peter descend to his successors in the vicarate of Christ. When the question is raised of the extension of these prerogatives beyond Peter and the popes, all sorts of views are held, concerning both the fact and the method of that extension.

(2) Among Protestants there is general agreement that the church is the agent of this power, but there is not uniformity as to the nature of the authority or the manner of its exercise.

(3) Some think that Peter has no peculiar relation to the keys; that these words were spoken to him only as the first who gave expression to that conception and experience, on the basis of which Jesus commits the keys of the kingdom to any believer in Him as the Christ of God.

We may summarize the more important views as to Peter thus:

(a) the power committed to him alone and exercised,

(i) at Pentecost, or

(ii) at Pentecost, Caesarea and other places;

(b) the power committed to Peter and to the other apostles, including Paul, discharged by them, and descended to no others;

(c) the power conferred on Peter officially and on his official successors;

(d) the power conferred on Peter and the other apostles and to such as hold their place in the church;

(e) that the power belongs to Peter as representative of the church, and so to the church to be exercised

(i) by the officials of the church,

(ii) by the officials and those to whom they commit it,

(iii) by all priests and persons allowed to represent the church, de facto,

(iv) by the church in its councils, or other formal and official decisions,

(v) by the church in less formal way than (iv),

(vi) by all members the church as representing it without specific commission;

(f) that it belongs to the Christian as such, and so is imposed upon, or offered to, all Christians.

2. Nature of the Power:

There is general-not absolute-agreement that the holder of the keys is to admit men into the kingdom. It is not agreed that the holder of the keys may, or can, determine who are members of the kingdom. Both sides are-taken. Some think that the power is that of announcing authoritatively the conditions of entrance, while others insist that the holder of the keys also determines what individuals have accepted the conditions.

3. Scope of the Power:

(1) There is strong support for the view that the primary function of the keys lies in determining the teaching of the kingdom, maintaining purity of doctrine. Emphasis is laid on the use of the neuter, "whatsoever"-not "whomsoever"-with the binding and loosing. This would lead, however, to the secondary and implied function of declaring who had or had not accepted the teaching of the kingdom.

(2) In the Roman Catholic church we find insistence on distinguishing between the general authority of the keys in all affairs of the church and religion, and the binding and loosing which they specifically apply to absolution. Only on this last are Catholics in full agreement. That the church administers salvation is held by Roman and Greek Catholics and by not a few Protestants, although Protestants do not, as a rule, claim exclusive power in salvation as do the others. Absolution is held to be a general (derived) priestly function, while the authority of the keys resides in the pope alone.

(3) Eminent Catholic authorities admit that the Fathers generally understood the keys to signify the power of forgiving sins, and that they seldom make any reference to the supremacy of Peter. But they claim that rarely the Fathers do take "Christ's promise in the fuller meaning of the gift of authority over the church." Suarez was the first to develop the doctrine that it conferred on Peter and his successors authority in its widest sense, administrative and legislative.

(4) The extension of the authority of the keys to include civil matters is a contention of the Roman church, shared in modified form by some Protestants. Indeed the relation of ecclesiastical to civil authority must be said still to be awaiting clear definition in Protestantism. Macedo (De Clavibus Petri) claims theologians of the church for the civil authority of the keys. Joyce in the Catholic Encyclopedia affirms that he is unable to verify this claim, but, on the contrary, finds that the opponents of the extension of the authority of the church to civil matters use Matthew 16:19 in support of their position on the ground that to Peter were committed the keys of the kingdom of heaven, not of the kingdoms of this world.

III. Data for Deciding the Questions Involved.

1. Passages Employing the Terms "Key," "Binding and Loosing":

We must first examine the Scriptures employing the terms we seek to define.

(1) Matthew 16:19, the crucial passage, is part of paragraph over which there is no end of controversy. The incident at Caesarea Philippi was understood then and afterward to mark an epoch in the life and teaching of Jesus. Having elicited Peter's confession, Jesus pronounces a benediction on him because his insight represented a Divinely mediated experience of fundamental significance in His own plan and mission. Jesus goes on to say: "And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter ("a stone"), and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). The controversy rages about "Peter" (petros) and the "rock" (petra), "gates of Hades," and "prevail against it." Are the church to be built on the rock and the kingdom whose keys are to be given to Peter the same? Such a shifting of figure is not conclusive against the thought. Perhaps the church is the organic form of the kingdom, its personal content and expression on earth at any given time. This church exists wherever men consciously accept and are included in the kingdom. The kingdom will always embrace influences, institutions, individuals, not be reckoned in any organized or visible church. The church has never had-in the nature of the case can never have-one complete organization including all the organized life of the kingdom, or even of the church. Any claims to this are contradicted by facts obvious at every moment of history. The change in figure from Matthew 16:18 to 16:19 is not conclusive against supposing the church to be built in him. But it seems far better to understand that Peter is the first stone in the building, while the foundation is that vital experience in which Peter came to know Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. On this is erected the church, out of those living stones (lithoi zontes, 1 Peter 2:4) that know and confess Jesus the Christ. The transition is thus easy to giving Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and the reason for giving them to him rather than to any other may be found in the fact that he is now the first so to enter into the kingdom as to be fitted for church functions.

It is not needful to determine, for our purpose, the exact meaning of "gates of Hades" and their not prevailing against the church (compare various commentaries). It is clear that the church is to persist in the life of the world and so the kingdom will not lack organized and aggressive expression. Nor does the relation of binding and loosing depend at all upon the critical question of reading or omitting "and" between the two parts of the verse. The conviction could hardly be escaped that the latter function is intimately related to the former, and is either directly or indirectly involved within it.

(2) The plural "keys," occurs elsewhere only in Revelation 1:18, where the Christ represents Himself as holding the keys of death and of Hades. The word "Hades" might connect this with Matthew 16:19. The immediate occasion for the statement is that He who was dead, is alive; He has not only overcome death in His own person but has conquered it and its realm, so that they can no more have power except as subject to Him, since He holds their keys. Men on earth will either fall under the power of death and Hades or they must enter the kingdom of heaven. If the living Christ has the keys of the kingdom in the hands of Peter, or other friends, and holds the keys of its enemies in His own hands, the work will go on with success. It is not certain that the two passages can properly be so closely connected, but they thus afford just the assurance that is contained for the churches in Revelation.

(3) In Revelation 3:7 Christ appears in the character, "he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key (singular) of David, he that openeth and none can shut, and that shutteth and none openeth." The idea is not restricted but indicates mastery over all things in the Messianic kingdom, its own operations and all forms of opposition. In the next verse, as a specific instance, He has set before the church at Philadelphia an open door (opportunity and progress) which none can shut. Compare as to this Ephesians 1:22.

(4) It seems to be taken for granted that Jesus, in Matthew 16:19, had direct reference to Isaiah 22:22, yet the passage is not Messianic except in a general sense and on the assumption that the power of Yahweh over the nations in the Old Testament is wielded by the Christ in the New Testament (see JEHOVAH; LORD). Eliakim is to have absolute power, holding the key of the house of David. The use of the words "open" and "shut," as well as the general conception, connects the passage rather with Revelation 3:7.

(5) Revelation 9:1; Revelation 20:1 are to be taken together. "The key of the pit of the abyss" in the hands of the angel or angels signifies, in these specific circumstances, the same power as that indicated in 1:18.

(6) In Luke 11:52 Jesus pronounces a woe upon the "lawyers" who had "taken away the key of knowledge" from the people, neither entering in nor allowing those about to go in, to enter. The knowledge of God and Divine things was in the control, in great measure, of these scribes. This connects the figure directly with the idea of Matthew 16:19, and the connection is emphasized by comparing Matthew 23:2 ff; and is made definite by the word of Jesus in Matthew 13:52 with which is to be compared Luke 12:42, where it would not be allowable, to suppose that Jesus meant to limit the idea of "the faithful and wise steward" to Peter. This passage with the references seems to be highly important for our subject.

2. Related Passages:

Light is to be drawn from several passages that do not use the exact terms of Matthew 16:19, but that deal with the same general ideas.

(1) Matthew 18:18 places the responsibility for binding and loosing on all disciples (18:1), and the reason is explained in the assured presence of the Christ Himself in any company of two or three who have come together in prayer touching any matter in His name, i.e. as His representatives. The immediate reference is to matters of discipline in the effort to rescue any "brother" from sin. The passage is to be taken of sin generally, for the reading "against thee" (18:15) is to be rejected, in spite of both revised versions The reference of binding and loosing here to the man is conclusive against limiting the idea in 16:19 to teaching (compare also Luke 17:1 ff;). It is also to be noted that the responsibility is placed upon the individual Christian to cooperate with others when necessary.

(2) Matthew 9:8 shows that the multitude recognized that God had given power on earth to pronounce forgiveness of sins, and apparently they do not limit this power to the Divine Person, for they do not yet know Him as such.

(3) James 5:14 ff; recognizes the value of elders, and probably of others also, in securing the forgiveness of them that have sinned.

(4) What one must regard as the proper starting-point for studying this subject is John 20:21 ff;. Appearing to ten of the apostles and to others on the first night after the resurrection, Jesus says: "As the Father sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever ye retain, they are retained." By comparing this with the corresponding account in Luke 24 we see that Jesus is directing that they shall carry on His work (see also John 14:12-14; John 15:15, 16), that He teaches them at length of the nature of His work as seen in the Old Testament, and that the method of their work is to be preaching repentance and remission of sins in His name among all nations. Significant for our purpose are the presence of others than the apostles, the gift of the Holy Spirit, His own self-projection in His messengers, and the solemn statement that the sins of men will be retained or forgiven as it is done through these followers.

3. Examples of Excercise of This Power:

(1) It is remarkable that there is no distinct reference to this authority of the keys in the records of the work of the apostles and others in the New Testament. Their consciousness seems most of all to have been dominated by the fact that they were witnesses of Jesus, and this corresponds exactly with the point of emphasis in all the various forms and occasions of the giving of the commission (see Acts 2:32; Acts 3:15; Acts 4:33; Acts 5:32; Acts 10:39, 41; 13:31 1 Peter 5:1; compare Carver, Missions in the Plan of the Ages). It is said of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:27) that after their first missionary journey they rehearsed to the church at Antioch "all things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles." At Pentecost and at other times Peter was the chief speaker, and so opened the door of the kingdom. Referring to his preaching to Cornelius and his friends, Peter reminds the saints in the conference at Jerusalem (Acts 15) that God made choice among them, that by his mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of God and believe, but this was said by way of conciliating the Jewish party and not as claiming any priority in authority. It was Philip, the deacon-evangelist, who first preached to the Samaritans (Acts 8), and some "men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus" (Acts 11:20), the first example of "opening a door of faith" to full heathen. Peter appears in the Jerusalem conference with no authority above that of other apostles and elders. By reference to Galatians 2 we see that Paul was here only as a matter of prudence and fraternity, not recognizing any authority to legislate for his churches or his ministry. The decision there reached is promulgated as that of the brethren as a body, loosing all the law of Moses save four matters that were "necessary" on account of fundamental morals and of the universal presence of Jews in every city (Acts 15:20, 28 f). In the sense of teaching Christian conduct all Paul's letters are examples of binding and loosing.

(2) As to binding and loosing sins Peter speaks in the cases of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), Simon Magus (Acts 8), and in deciding upon the baptism of Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:48). Paul speaks with equal boldness in the judgment of Elymas (Acts 13:10), where we are told that he was under the Spirit; passes upon the faith of a dozen men at Ephesus, and requires their new baptism after instruction (Acts 19:3-7); commands the church at Corinth to turn over to Satan the incestuous man (1 Corinthians 5:5; compare 1 Timothy 1:20), and later urges the man's restoration to loving fellowship, declaring that he has been forgiven (2 Corinthians 2:5). Obscure men like Philip (Acts 8) and Ananias of Damascus in the case of Paul himself (Acts 9) exercised the same sort of judgment as to the forgiveness and reception of men into the fellowship.

IV. Conclusion.

1. Nature of the Power:

We sum up what seems to be the teaching of Scripture. We conclude that the power is not a special privilege and extraordinary authority, but a responsibility entrusted by Jesus Christ as the method of extending His work. There is in it nothing magical, mysterious, or arbitrary; not ecclesiastical or official, but spiritual and primarily personal. The keys of the kingdom of heaven are first of all the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. By this means men are admitted into the kingdom. The fully attested method of using the keys is that of witnessing personally to an experience of Jesus Christ. He was conferring power for saving and not for barring from salvation. Let it be borne in mind always that Jesus was offering Peter not power but duty, not privilege but responsibility. Neither of these terms, "power" and "privilege," that have come to be associated with the gift of the keys occurs with that gift in the words of the Master. The keys are primarily for admitting to the kingdom of heaven, not for barring from the church.

2. Agent of the Power:

The holder of the keys is any man with that experience that called forth from Jesus the assurance that Peter should have the keys. Such a man will be in fellowship and cooperation with like men, in a church, and the Spirit of Jesus will be present in them, so that their decisions and their testimony will be His as well as theirs. There is a corporate, or church, agency, therefore, and the man who would ignore that lacks the experience or the Spirit needful for the use of the keys. Yet the church is never to overshadow or exclude the individual responsibility and authority.

3. Scope of the Power:

It is to be understood that the keys of the kingdom of heaven confer no political authority or power, save that of holy and redemptive influence. The kingdom of Jesus is not of this world. Its power is spiritual and is to be exercised always primarily in the saving of men. Men do not need to be locked out of the kingdom. They are out, and too contented to remain so. It does happen that evil men seek to take possession of the kingdom for evil ends, and then it is that the authority rests in spiritual men to exclude. Men that are to be brought into the kingdom of heaven are now in sin, and where the duty of releasing them is not discharged by Christians, the sinners are left bound in their sins.

There is also involved of necessity the duty of declaring not only the conditions of entrance into the kingdom, but the courses of conduct appropriate to the kingdom. It is thus that binding and loosing in teaching devolve upon the holders of the keys. To that extent, and in that sense, alone, is there the power of "legislating" within the kingdom. This is only interpreting and applying the principles that are given us in the Scriptures.

Seefurther ABSOLUTION; IMPOSITION OF HANDS; PETER; ROCK.

William Owen Carver

POWER

pou'-er: This word, indicative of might, strength, force, is used in the Old Testament to render very many Hebrew terms, the translation in numerous instances being varied in the Revised Version (British and American) to words like "valor," "rule," "strength," "might," "dominion." The principal words for "power" in the New Testament are dunamis, and exousia. In the latter case the Revised Version (British and American) frequently changes to "authority" (Mark 3:15; Mark 6:7 Ephesians 1:21, etc.) or "right" (Romans 9:21 1 Corinthians 9:6 2 Thessalonians 3:9, etc.). Power is attributed preeminently to God (1 Chronicles 29:11 Job 26:14 Psalm 66:7; Psalm 145:11 Revelation 7:12, etc.). On this attribute of power of God, see OMNIPOTENCE. The supreme manifestation of the power, as of the wisdom and love of God, is in redemption (1 Corinthians 1:18, 24). The preaching of the gospel is accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:4 1 Thessalonians 1:5, etc.). Miracles, as "mighty works," are denoted by the term "powers" (so Matthew 11:21, 23 the Revised Version margin, etc.). The end of all time's developments is that God takes to Him His great power and reigns (Revelation 11:17).

James Orr

POWER OF KEYS

See KEYS, POWER OF THE.

Greek

1849. exousia -- power to act, authority
... power to act, authority. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: exousia
Phonetic Spelling: (ex-oo-see'-ah) Short Definition: power, authority, weight ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1849.htm - 8k

1411. dunamis -- (miraculous) power, might, strength
... 1410, 1411. dunamis. 1412 . (miraculous) power, might, strength. Part of Speech:
Noun, Feminine Transliteration: dunamis Phonetic Spelling: (doo'-nam-is ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1411.htm - 8k

1410. dunamai -- to be able, to have power
... to be able, to have power. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: dunamai Phonetic
Spelling: (doo'-nam-ahee) Short Definition: I am powerful, am able Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1410.htm - 10k

2616a. katadunasteuo -- to exercise power over
... 2616, 2616a. katadunasteuo. 2616b . to exercise power over. Transliteration:
katadunasteuo Short Definition: oppress. Word Origin ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2616a.htm - 5k

1643. elauno -- to drive or push (as wind, oars, or demoniacal ...
... to drive or push (as wind, oars, or demoniacal power). Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: elauno Phonetic Spelling: (el-ow'-no) Short Definition: I drive ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1643.htm - 6k

932. basileia -- kingdom, sovereignty, royal power
... kingdom, sovereignty, royal power. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
basileia Phonetic Spelling: (bas-il-i'-ah) Short Definition: kingship ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/932.htm - 7k

1753b. energeia -- operative power
... 1753a, 1753b. energeia. 1754 . operative power. Transliteration: energeia
Short Definition: working. Word Origin from energes Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1753b.htm - 5k

2480. ischuo -- to be strong, have power
... to be strong, have power. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ischuo Phonetic
Spelling: (is-khoo'-o) Short Definition: I am strong, able Definition: I have ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2480.htm - 9k

5220. hupandros -- under the power of or subject to a man
... under the power of or subject to a man. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration:
hupandros Phonetic Spelling: (hoop'-an-dros) Short Definition: subject to a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5220.htm - 6k

192. akrasia -- want of power
... want of power. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: akrasia Phonetic
Spelling: (ak-ras-ee'-a) Short Definition: incontinence, intemperance, lack of ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/192.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

2632. chesen -- (royal) power
... 2631, 2632. chesen. 2633 . (royal) power. Transliteration: chesen Phonetic
Spelling: (khay'-sen) Short Definition: power. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/2632.htm - 6k

8633. toqeph -- power, strength, energy
... toqeph. 8634 . power, strength, energy. Transliteration: toqeph Phonetic Spelling:
(to'-kef) Short Definition: authority. ... authority, power, strength. ...
/hebrew/8633.htm - 6k

8617. tequmah -- a standing, power to stand
... 8616, 8617. tequmah. 8618 . a standing, power to stand. Transliteration: tequmah
Phonetic Spelling: (tek-oo-maw') Short Definition: stand. ... power to stand. ...
/hebrew/8617.htm - 6k

2429. chayil -- power, strength, army
... chayil. 2430 . power, strength, army. Transliteration: chayil Phonetic Spelling:
(khah'-yil) Short Definition: aloud. ... aloud, army, most mighty, power. ...
/hebrew/2429.htm - 6k

7981. shelet -- to have power, rule
... to have power, rule. Transliteration: shelet Phonetic Spelling: (shel-ate') Short
Definition: authority. ... have the mastery, have power, bear rule, be make ruler. ...
/hebrew/7981.htm - 6k

3581b. koach -- strength, power
... 3581a, 3581b. koach. 3582 . strength, power. Transliteration: koach
Short Definition: strength. Word Origin from an unused word ...
/hebrew/3581b.htm - 5k

7786. sur -- make princes, have power, reign
... make princes, have power, reign. Transliteration: sur or sur Phonetic Spelling:
(soor) Short Definition: princes. ... make princes, have power, reign ...
/hebrew/7786.htm - 6k

3201. yakol -- to be able, have power
... yakol or yakol. 3202 . to be able, have power. Transliteration: yakol or yakol
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-kole') Short Definition: able. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/3201.htm - 6k

4486. manda -- knowledge, the power of knowing
... 4485, 4486. manda. 4487 . knowledge, the power of knowing. Transliteration:
manda Phonetic Spelling: (man-dah') Short Definition: knowledge. ...
/hebrew/4486.htm - 6k

4438. malkuth -- royalty, royal power, reign, kingdom
... royalty, royal power, reign, kingdom. Transliteration: malkuth or malkuth or malkuyyah
Phonetic Spelling: (mal-kooth') Short Definition: kingdom. ...
/hebrew/4438.htm - 6k

Library

Secret Power
Secret Power. <. Secret Power Dwight L. Moody. Produced by Keith G. Richardson
Table of Contents. Title Page. PREFACE. CHAPTER I. POWER--ITS SOURCE. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/secret power/

The Power
... HYMNS THE POWER. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of
hosts.""Zechariah 4:6. J. Tauler, 1361. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899. ...
/.../bevan/hymns of ter steegen and others second series/the power.htm

Whether Free-Will is a Power Distinct from the Will?
... OF FREE-WILL (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether free-will is a power distinct from the will?
Objection 1: It would seem that free-will is a power distinct from the will. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether free-will is a power.htm

Five Outlets of Power.
... Prayer the Greatest Outlet of Power Five Outlets of Power. ... That should be our dominant
ambition. For that purpose He has endowed us with peculiar power. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on prayer/five outlets of power.htm

Christian Power.
... Christian Power. Christianity"stately queen, Virgin"loveliest ever seen, Fairest
art thou upon the earth, And of a higher, nobler birth. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /christian power.htm

The Power of God
... 3. God and his creation 6. The Power Of God. The next attribute is God's power.
Job 9:19. ... Divines distinguish between authority and power. God has both. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/6 the power of god.htm

The Spirit of Power
... THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS THE SPIRIT OF POWER. 'And Elisha said to the king of Israel,
Put thine hand upon the bow. ... I. Here we have the power communicated. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the spirit of power.htm

Power of Leadership.
... The Coming Victory Power of Leadership. The enormous power of personal
influence and of devoted leadership has been most marked. ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks with world winners/power of leadership.htm

Quiet Talks on Power
Quiet Talks on Power. <. Quiet Talks on Power SD Gordon. Produced
by Jason Isbell, Karina Aleksandrova and the Online ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on power/

Whether the Intellect is a Power of the Soul?
... OF THE INTELLECTUAL POWERS (THIRTEEN ARTICLES) Whether the intellect is
a power of the soul? Objection 1: It would seem that the ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the intellect is a.htm

Subtopics

Power

Power of Christ is Able to Subdue all Things

Power of Christ: As Man, is from the Father

Power of Christ: As the Son of God, is the Power of God

Power of Christ: Bodies of, Will be Changed By

Power of Christ: Described As Supreme

Power of Christ: Destroying the Works of Satan

Power of Christ: Enabling Others to Work Miracles

Power of Christ: Everlasting

Power of Christ: Exemplified in Creation

Power of Christ: Forgiving Sins