Greek word · G1753

ἐνέργεια

energeia

active energy

Activity, operation, effective working: power in action rather than power in reserve. In Aristotle it is a technical term for actuality, as opposed to mere potential.

Appears 8 times in 8 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 23, 2026

What it means

ἐνέργεια, -ας, ἡ

(ἐνεργής), [in LXX: Wisdom of Solomon 7:17, 26 13:4 18:22, 2Ma.3:29, 3Ma.4:21 3Mac 5:12 3Mac 5:28 * ;]

operative power (as distinct from δύναμις, potential power), working: of God, Ephesians 1:19 3:7 4:16, Philippians 3:21, Colossians 1:29 2:12; of Satan, 2 Thessalonians 2:9 2:11 (cf. M, Th., l.with; AR, Eph., 241 ff.; Cremer, 261).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Ephesians 1:19

Range of meaning: Activity, operation, effective working: power in action rather than power in reserve. In Aristotle it is a technical term for actuality, as opposed to mere potential. In the New Testament it is used only of superhuman power: God's in most places (Eph 1:19; 3:7; 4:16; Phil 3:21; Col 1:29; 2:12), and the deceptive working of Satan and delusion in 2 Thess 2:9, 11.
Against the English: 'Working' (KJV, WEB, YLT, BSB, ESV, NASB) is accurate. NIV and NLT drop the word and turn the phrase into 'the same mighty strength he exerted' or 'the same mighty power'. That keeps the sense but loses the wordplay with the verb in v. 20.
Used elsewhere in the period: In Jewish wisdom literature, Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 calls Wisdom 'a spotless mirror of the working (energeias) of God', and 2 Maccabees 3:29 speaks of 'the divine working' that struck down Heliodorus. Col 2:12 is a close parallel to this verse: 'through faith in the working (energeias) of God, who raised him from the dead.'

From the study of 2 Thessalonians 2:9

Range of meaning: Activity, operation, effective working: power that is actually at work and producing results, not just potential. In Hellenistic Jewish literature it is used for the working of God or of supernatural powers. Every New Testament use is Paul's, and every one refers to supernatural working: God's (Eph 1:19; 3:7; Col 2:12), Christ's (Phil 3:21), and here Satan's.
Against the English: 'Working' (KJV, WEB, BSB, YLT) is accurate. The weak spot is the preposition: BSB's 'accompanied by' drops 'kata', 'in accordance with', and with it the idea that Satan's activity is what shapes and powers the arrival.
Used elsewhere in the period: Wisdom of Solomon 7:17, 26 (the 'working' of God, of which Wisdom is a mirror); 2 Maccabees 3:29 and 3 Maccabees 4:21; 5:12, 28 (divine intervention). Paul uses it again in 2 Thess 2:11: 'God sends them an energeia of delusion.'

From the study of Ephesians 3:7

Range of meaning: Activity, operation, effective working: power actually at work and producing results. In Aristotle's philosophy it is 'actuality', paired with dynamis as 'potential'. In everyday Koine it simply means operation or active force.
Against the English: KJV's 'effectual working' captures well that it produces results. 'Working' is accurate but thin. The English word 'energy' comes from it, but the modern physics sense of a measurable quantity is a much later idea.
How it drifted: 'Energy' as a scientific term dates from the 19th century. Readers who hear it as a fuel or force-field miss that the Greek describes a personal agent's power in action.
Used elsewhere in the period: In the NT it appears only in Paul's letters (Eph 1:19; 3:7; 4:16; Phil 3:21; Col 1:29; 2:12; 2 Thess 2:9, 11), always for superhuman power, divine or demonic. In Wisdom of Solomon 7:17 and 13:4 it means the workings of creation. 2 Maccabees 3:29 speaks of 'divine activity'.

Similar words

Where it appears

Ephesians · 3

Ephesians 1:19 ἐνέργειαν working

and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength,

Here: Power actually at work and producing an effect. Verse 20 picks it up with the related verb: 'which he worked (enērgēsen) in Christ'. The 'working' here is a specific event, the resurrection and enthronement.
Ephesians 3:7 ἐνέργειαν working

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.

Here: Power in action, actually producing a result. Paul uses this word only for superhuman power. In Ephesians it first appears for the power that raised Christ from the dead (1:19-20).
Ephesians 4:16 ἐνέργειαν [the] working

From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.

Here: Effective, active working. In this letter the word is used of God's power at work (1:19; 3:7), so it suggests divine energy working in each part, not mere human effort.

Philippians · 1

Philippians 3:21 ἐνέργειαν working

who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.

Here: Power actually at work, not just potential. Paul uses it of God's power that raised Christ (Eph 1:19–20; Col 2:12).

Colossians · 2

Colossians 1:29 ἐνέργειαν energy

To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.

Here: Power in action, actually operating. In the New Testament the word is always used of more-than-human working, here the working of Christ (or God).
Colossians 2:12 ἐνεργείας working

And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Here: Power that is actually at work and gets results, not power held in reserve. Most read the genitive as the object of faith (faith in God's working). A minority read it as the source (faith that God's working produces).

2 Thessalonians · 2

2 Thessalonians 2:9 ἐνέργειαν [the] working

The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder,

Here: Power actually at work and producing effects. In the New Testament Paul uses this word only for supernatural working, and here it is Satan's. Two verses later (v.11) God sends an 'energeia' of delusion, the same word.
2 Thessalonians 2:11 ἐνέργειαν a powerful

For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie,

Here: An active, effective force. It is the same word used in v. 9 for 'the working of Satan.' English 'powerful' turns it into an adjective, but in Greek it is the noun at the center of the phrase: what God sends is a power at work.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.