Able
The Concept of Ability in Scripture
The word "able" appears frequently throughout the Bible, translating several Hebrew and Greek terms that describe different aspects of capability and power. Far from a simple description of human competence, the biblical concept of being "able" points consistently to the source of all true ability: God himself.
Greek Words for Ability
The New Testament uses two primary Greek words translated as "able." The word dunamai (from which English gets "dynamic" and "dynamite") is the most common, referring to having power or capability. It can describe inherent strength, the absence of external obstacles, or what is permissible or allowed. When Jesus asked the blind men, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" (Matthew 9:28), the word points to divine power to heal. When Paul wrote that God "is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20), the same word expresses God's unlimited capacity.
The word ischuo refers specifically to inherent strength or force. Jesus used it when he warned that people should "strive to enter through the narrow door, for many will seek to enter and will not be able" (Luke 13:24). Here, human strength alone proves insufficient for the spiritual task at hand.
God as the Source of Ability
A central biblical theme is that genuine ability comes from God, not from human effort. Paul declared, "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant" (2 Corinthians 3:5-6). The older translation rendered this as God making us "able ministers," but the underlying point is the same: ministry ability is a gift from God, not a human achievement.
This principle extends throughout Scripture. Moses protested that he was not able to speak well, but God responded by promising to be with his mouth (Exodus 4:10-12). Gideon claimed his clan was the weakest, yet God made him able to deliver Israel (Judges 6:15-16). David told Goliath that the battle was the Lord's, not a matter of human ability (1 Samuel 17:47).
The Ability of Faith
Jesus frequently connected ability to faith. "All things are possible for one who believes" (Mark 9:23) and "If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). In these passages, human ability is transformed and expanded through trust in God's power.
God's Ability to Save
The New Testament repeatedly affirms God's ability to save and keep his people. The author of Hebrews declares that Jesus "is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him" (Hebrews 7:25). Jude's doxology praises the one "who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless" (Jude 1:24). Paul expressed confidence that God "is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me" (2 Timothy 1:12). These affirmations ground the believer's security not in personal ability but in God's unfailing power.
Biblical Context
The concept of being 'able' appears across both Testaments, from Moses' protests of inability (Exodus 4:10-12) to Paul's teaching on God-given sufficiency (2 Corinthians 3:5-6). Key New Testament passages affirm God's ability to save (Hebrews 7:25), keep believers (Jude 1:24), and do more than we can imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
Theological Significance
The biblical treatment of ability teaches that human capacity is always derivative: it comes from God. This principle counters self-reliance and grounds confidence in divine empowerment. The repeated affirmation that God is 'able' serves as the foundation for faith, assuring believers that what God has promised, he has the power to fulfill.
Historical Background
In the Greco-Roman world, personal ability and self-sufficiency were highly valued virtues. The Stoic ideal of the self-sufficient sage stood in sharp contrast to the biblical emphasis on dependence on God. Paul's insistence that sufficiency comes from God rather than from human resources would have been countercultural in the Hellenistic world where his letters circulated.