Lexical Summary theléma: Will, desire, purpose Original Word: θέλημα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance desire, pleasure, will. From the prolonged form of ethelo; a determination (properly, the thing), i.e. (actively) choice (specially, purpose, decree; abstractly, volition) or (passively) inclination -- desire, pleasure, will. see GREEK ethelo HELPS Word-studies 2307 thélēma (from 2309 /thélō, "to desire, wish") – properly, a desire (wish), often referring to God's "preferred-will," i.e. His "best-offer" to people which can be accepted or rejected. [Note the -ma suffix, focusing on the result hoped for with the particular desire (wish). 2307 (thélēma) is nearly always used of God, referring to His preferred-will. Occasionally it is used of man (cf. Lk 23:25; Jn 1:13.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom theló Definition will NASB Translation desire (1), desires (1), will (57). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2307: θέλημαθέλημα, θελήματος, τό (θέλω), a word purely Biblical and ecclesiastical (yet found in Aristotle, de plant. 1, 1, p. 815b, 21); the Sept. for חֵפֶץ and רָצון; will, i. e., a. what one wishes or has determined shall be done (i. e. objectively, thing willed): Luke 12:47; John 5:30; 1 Corinthians 7:37; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; 2 Timothy 2:26; Hebrews 10:10; Revelation 4:11; θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ is used — of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ, Acts 22:14; Ephesians 1:9; Colossians 1:9; of what God wishes to be done by us, Romans 12:2; Colossians 4:12 (Winer's Grammar, 111 (105)); 1 Peter 4:2; and simply τό θέλημα, Romans 2:18 (Winer's Grammar, 594 (553)) (Sir. 43:16 (17) (but here the better text now adds αὐτοῦ, see Fritzsche; in patristic Greek, however, θέλημα is so used even without the article; cf. Ignatius ad Rom. 1, 1 [ET]; ad Eph. 20, 1 [ET], etc.)); τοῦ κυρίου, Ephesians 5:17; plural commands, precepts: (Mark 3:35 WH. marginal reading); Acts 13:22 (Psalm 102:7 b. equivalent to τό θέλειν (i. e. the abstract act of willing, the subjective) will, choice: 1 Peter 3:17 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 604 (562)); 2 Peter 1:21; ποιεῖν τό θέλημα τίνος (especially of God), Matthew 7:21; Matthew 12:50; Matthew 21:31; Mark 3:35 (here WH marginal reading the plural, see above); John 4:34; John 6:38; John 7:17; John 9:31; Ephesians 6:6; Hebrews 10:7, 9, 36; Hebrews 13:21; 1 John 2:17; τό θέλημα (L T Tr WH βούλημα) τίνος κατεργάζεσθαι, 1 Peter 4:3; γίνεται τό θέλημα τίνος, Matthew 6:10; Matthew 26:42; Luke 11:2 L R; Strong’s Greek 2307 (thelēma) signifies a determinate will, wish, purpose, or desire. In Scripture it ranges from the unassailable counsel of God to the fickle preferences of fallen humanity. The term appears sixty-three times in the Greek New Testament and clusters around four great themes: the sovereign plan of God, the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ, the sanctifying path of the believer, and the conflicted will of sinful mankind. God’s Sovereign Will Thelēma most frequently describes the all-encompassing purpose of God that governs creation, redemption, and consummation. • Revelation 4:11 locates the origin of all things in that will: “For You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.” The New Testament never portrays this divine will as tentative or contingent; it stands as the irresistible foundation for every saving act. God’s Moral and Redemptive Will Alongside sovereign decree, thelēma depicts God’s expressed desire for human conduct. • “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Here thelēma discloses God’s revealed standards, inviting obedience. While sovereign will cannot be thwarted, moral will can be resisted; hence Scripture urges transformation so that believers “may prove what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). Christ’s Obedience to the Father’s Will Jesus Christ embodies perfect submission to thelēma. • “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:34). Through that obedience, the new covenant is ratified (Hebrews 10:7–9) and eternal life secured for “everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him” (John 6:40). Human Discovery and Practice of God’s Will Believers are exhorted to align personal volition with God’s. • The pattern prayer petitions, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2). Such alignment is neither mystical nor optional; it is cultivated through Scripture, prayer, and Spirit-enabled renewal. The Conflicted Will of Fallen Humanity Thelēma also exposes the desires of unregenerate hearts. • The crowd demanded Barabbas “as they had requested” (Luke 23:25). Thus Scripture contrasts God’s righteous will with the self-will that characterizes rebellion. Prayer According to God’s Will Confidence in prayer arises when requests harmonize with divine purpose. “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). The Lord’s Prayer and Christ’s Gethsemane submission model petitions that seek conformity, not resistance, to God’s design. Apostolic Calling by the Will of God Eight epistles open with Paul’s self-identification as “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” (for example, 1 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1). His authority rests not on personal ambition but on divine appointment, underscoring that ministry gifting and placement arise from thelēma. Sanctification, Suffering, and Perseverance in the Will of God Participation in God’s will may involve trial. • “After you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised” (Hebrews 10:36). Eschatological Permanence of God’s Will Human desires fade, but “the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). Final judgment will distinguish mere profession from genuine obedience: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Historical and Ministry Significance Early Christian writers emphasized thelēma when articulating martyrdom’s purpose and communal discernment. The Didache urges believers to pray, “May Your will be done,” echoing Gospel tradition. Patristic theology framed God’s will as both causa prima and telos of history, a conviction that shaped creeds, liturgy, and missionary zeal. In contemporary ministry the doctrine of thelēma offers: 1. A foundation for confidence: God’s plan is neither arbitrary nor uncertain. Key Theological Observations • Thelēma unites sovereignty and responsibility; divine will guarantees ultimate outcomes while calling for human obedience. Related Greek Concepts Boulē (1012) highlights counsel or plan; prothesis (4286) stresses purpose; eudokia (2107) expresses good pleasure. Together with thelēma they enrich the biblical portrait of God’s deliberate, gracious governance. Summary Strong’s Greek 2307 portrays the majestic, saving, and sanctifying will of God as disclosed in Jesus Christ, applied by the Holy Spirit, and embraced by believers for the glory of the Father “who works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). Englishman's Concordance Matthew 6:10 N-NNSGRK: γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς NAS: come. Your will be done, KJV: come. Thy will be done in INT: let be done the will of you as Matthew 7:21 N-ANS Matthew 12:50 N-ANS Matthew 18:14 N-NNS Matthew 21:31 N-ANS Matthew 26:42 N-NNS Mark 3:35 N-ANS Luke 11:2 Noun-NNS Luke 12:47 N-ANS Luke 12:47 N-ANS Luke 22:42 N-NNS Luke 23:25 N-DNS John 1:13 N-GNS John 1:13 N-GNS John 4:34 N-ANS John 5:30 N-ANS John 5:30 N-ANS John 6:38 N-ANS John 6:38 N-ANS John 6:39 N-NNS John 6:40 N-NNS John 7:17 N-ANS John 9:31 N-ANS Acts 13:22 N-ANP Acts 21:14 N-NNS Strong's Greek 2307 |
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