G. CuRRiE Martin. OLIVET.— See MouxT OF Olives.
OMNIPOTENCE.— The infinite power that works in and through, or above, all things towards the realizing of Divine ends. It may be viewed either intensively, as the power which makes its way through all finite powers, finding in these no real obstacle to its purpose ; or extensively, as the power which gathers within it all finite powers, and so achieves its ends throughout the universe.
1. As attribute of God. — Power is a fundamental attribute of Deity : it has even been called the Divine attribute par excel- lence, because it is found in all reliyrious conceptions from the lowest to the highest, and forms the basal thought, so to speak, upon which all other conceptions are built. In primitive reli- ffion, however, the superhuman power is not .vet conceived as infinite : it is not even centred in one being, hut distributed among many. It is enough for the worshipper to be able to regard the deity he worships as higlier than himself and able to give him what he needs. E\"en the pol>theist, however, often sets logic at defiance by ascribing to the god he is wor- shipping at the moment an unrestrained power within his own domain, and even a universal sovereignty. A true omnipotence is logically attriljutable only under a monotheistic scheme, where the one Divine being is invested with all the powers formerly distributed among many deities. Here the conception natu- rally de\ elops of a Being whose ))Ower is uni\ersal in space and time, and moulds all things and events irresistibl.v to its own purposes. So, in the great days of the prophetic period of Israel's history, all limiting conceptions are withdrawn from the notion of God, and Jehovah stands revealed as the One Being who has all creation in the hollow of His hand, maker and controller of all things in heaven and earth, the supreme power working irresistiblv to the accomplishment of His great moral ends (Am 41^ 58, Is 4012-26, ps 33911 115:!). Qod is not merely conceived as transcendent, the wonder-working God, intervening when and where He will : the higher conception also prevails that the ordinary as well as the extraordinary events of history are ordered by the Divine hand, and made to effect His purposes. Not only tlie universal movement of human life, but nature in all its forms, pulsates with the energy derived from God, is a channel of His revelation, and conforms abso- lutely to His will (Ps 148). In the NT the teaching of the prophets is accepted in its entirety : the ad\ance made concerns only the higher attributes of God, and His spiritual ends. God is the infinite power working above and within all things : with Him is the power (.Mt 6'^*), to Him all things are possible (Mk 1027 1436), He is the Lord God Almi;.,dity (Rev 4* llH), with no other limits than are set by His own nature (' He cannot denv him- self,' 2 Ti 213) or by the moral ends He has in view (Jlk 1435. 36).
2. As ascribable to Christ. It is generally ad- mitted that tlie ascription to Christ of the Divine power has passed through a certain development, which is i)artly traceable in the Go.spels them- selves.
(a) In the S)/noptir Gn.iprls we have to distin- guish between the Divine power attributed to Him in His earthly life, and the fuller power belonging to Him as the risen Lord, and the future .Judge of tlie world. In His carthhi life, while He passes through a truly human development, and is sub- ject to natural human weakness, He is clothed \vitli unique power for the fulfilment of His mis- sion. The powers of heaven are at His command (Mt 28 '3) ; He has power to heal, exerted at will (Mt 8-'), and apparently resident in Himself, though ultimately derived from God by faith and prayer (Mt 1"-", Mk 9'-''). Sometimes this power is brought into play unwittingly on Christ's part (Mk S-^-^",
Lk 6'^). His womler- working power extends over nature : and even the winds and the seas obey Him. The onlj' limits to His power seem to lie in the faith of those who receive blessing (i\It 13'") and in the conditions set to His Messianic mission (Mt 15-''). It is a further extension of this power of doing miracles that He can bestow it also upon His disciples (Mk S'^, Lk 9^, Mt 10^, to be used witiiin the same limits ami under the same inward conditions of faith and prayer — the channels of the Divine omnipotence. As the risen and exalted Christ, He enters into a still wider range of Divine power. He is now clothed with a limitless author- ity in heaven and earth for the triumphant fulfil- ment of the JNIessianic work (Mt 28'**), and shares in the omnipresent government of God the Father (28-°). When He comes again as Messianic King to judge the world, He will come clothed with the
full power and glory of God (J^Ik 13-" 14«^ Mt 253iff.)_
(b) In t/lie Fourth Gospel the sphere of Christ's Divine power is still further enlarged. He is the incarnation of the Logos, by whom the world was made ; the source, under God the Father, of all light and life. While the marks of human weak- ness are still found, the Christ of this Gospel is invested more thoroughly with the basal attributes of Divinitj- — eternity (8^**), omniscience (I-^^G"'' IH), and omnipotence. Thus His miracles are mani- festations of Divine glory, and are painted in the most striking colours, as the miracle at Cana and the story of Lazarus. He speaks as if He were already at the right hand of po^\■er ; for all judg- ment is already committed to Him, and life, even life eternal, is in His hands (S-^- - lO"-^^-)- His death on the cross is no longer a matter of untoward circumstance, and human violence prevailing over right ; Christ permits His seizure only after prov- ing His power to resist (18") ; and as He has freely laid down His life, so He freely takes it again (2'" 10^'^). It seems clear, then, that in the Fourth Gospel the conception of Jesus as a man subject to ordinary human limitations of weakness, ignorance, and moral growth is giving place to the thought of a Christ-Logos, who, even while on earth, is in- vested with all the metaphysical attributes of Divinity. At the same time it must be recog- nized that the earthly Christ exercises His Divine powers under certain limitations. His power (i^ovala is the word jireferred) is a, delegated power, given Him of the Father ; and it is exercised within the definite limits of His saving mission.