Lexical Summary akón: Unwilling, involuntary Original Word: ἀκών Strong's Exhaustive Concordance unwillingFrom a (as a negative particle) and hekon; unwilling -- against the will. see GREEK a see GREEK hekon HELPS Word-studies 210 ákōn (from 1 /A "not" and 1635 /hekṓn, "willing, in voluntary accord") – properly, unwilling, needing to be compelled (used only in 1 Cor 9:17). [210 (ákōn) describes someone who does not share the same mind (view), i.e. is not of the same will (intention).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origincontr. of alpha (as a neg. prefix) and hekón Definition unwilling NASB Translation against my will (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 210: ἄκωνἄκων, ἄκουσα, ἄκον (contracted from ἀέκων, alpha privative and ἕκων willing), not of one's own will, unwilling: 1 Corinthians 9:17. (Very frequent among the Greeks.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Context The word denotes an action performed against one’s desire or preference. It appears once in the Greek New Testament, within Paul’s discussion of his apostolic labor. Scriptural Usage 1 Corinthians 9:17: “For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwilling, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.” Paul distinguishes between voluntary service, which is rewarded, and obligatory service, which is nevertheless binding because God has committed a stewardship to him. Theological Significance 1. Divine Commission: The term underscores that God’s calling carries binding force regardless of personal inclination. Paul’s Apostolic Stewardship Paul’s Damascus-road encounter left him no choice but obedience (Acts 26:14–19). His language in 1 Corinthians 9 presents preaching as a trust deposited with him. Even if he were to shrink back, the stewardship remains; God’s gospel must advance (compare 1 Corinthians 4:1–2). Contrast between Willing and Unwilling Service • Willing: Mary’s “May it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Both categories stand under divine sovereignty, but willingness aligns the servant’s heart with God’s purposes. Old Testament Parallels Jeremiah confessed, “If I say, ‘I will not mention Him,’ … His word is in my heart like a burning fire” (Jeremiah 20:9). Prophets sometimes ministered under compulsion, illustrating that reluctance does not nullify prophetic validity. Implications for Christian Ministry • Elders are to shepherd “not under compulsion, but willingly” (1 Peter 5:2). Pastoral Application 1. Examine Motives: Search for hidden reluctance; confess it before God. Historical Reception Early church fathers viewed Paul’s statement as proof that divine commission supersedes personal choice. Augustine cited it in discussions of irresistible grace; John Chrysostom highlighted Paul’s zeal, noting that even “if unwilling,” he still ran the race set before him. See Also Willing service (Strong’s Greek 159), Compulsion in ministry (1 Peter 5:2), Stewardship (Luke 12:42–48). Forms and Transliterations ακων άκων ἄκων akon akōn ákon ákōnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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