if we heedlessly permit ourselves to be controlled by the will of humans

θέλημα, ατος, τό (s. two next entries; Antiphon Soph. 58; Aristot., De Plant. 1, 1 p. 815b, 21; Aeneas Tact. 2, 8; 18, 19; POxy 924, 8 [IV A.D.]; LXX; PsSol 7:3; OdeSol 11:21; TestSol, Test12Patr, JosAs; ParJer 1:7; ApcEsdr 4:24 p. 28, 2 Tdf.; ApcSed, Just., Tat., Mel., P. 76, 552)

① what one wishes to happen, objective sense, what is willed

ⓐ gener. ἐὰν θ. ᾖ if it is his (God’s or Christ’s) will IEph 20:1; IRo 1:1 (θέλημα abs.=God’s will also ISm 11:1; IPol 8:1 and in Paul Ro 2:18; s. also b below). γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου Mt 6:10; 26:42; Lk 11:2 v.l.; D. 8:2; τὸ θ. τοῦ θεοῦ γενέσθω MPol 7:1. τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ θ. τ. πέμψαντός με J 6:39f. μὴ τὸ θ. μου ἀλλὰ τὸ σὸν γινέσθω Lk 22:42. Cp. Ac 21:14; Col 4:12; Hb 10:10 (only here in the NT w. ἐν; cp. AcPlCor 2:26). οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν θέλημα ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρὸς ἵνα so it is not the Father’s will that Mt 18:14 (οὐκ ἔστιν θ. as Mal 1:10; Eccl 5:3; 12:1).

ⓑ what one wishes to bring about by one’s own action, since one has undertaken to do what one has willed οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θ. τὸ ἐμόν I do not aspire (to do) my own will J 5:30a; 6:38. τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ the secret purpose of God’s will, i.e. the carrying out of God’s plan of salvation Eph 1:9. οὐκ ἦν θ., ἵνα ἔλθῃ he was not willing to come 1 Cor 16:12 (but this passage could also belong under the abs. use of 1a).

ⓒ what one wishes to bring about by the activity of others, to whom one assigns a task.

α. of persons ὁ δοῦλος ὁ γνοὺς τὸ θ. τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ what his master wants Lk 12:47 (in a parable). τὸ θ. τοῦ πατρός Mt 21:31.

β. of the devil εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θ. to do his will 2 Ti 2:26.

γ. predom. of God (or Christ) τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ (cp. Herm. Wr. 5, 7; 13, 2; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 197; TestIss 4:3, TestNapht 3:1; Just., A I, 63, 10 al.) Ro 12:2; Eph 5:17; 1 Th 4:3; 5:18; 1 Pt 2:15; 4:2; cp. J 5:30b; 1 Cl 40:3; 56:2. θελήματι τοῦ κελεύοντος λόγου Dg 11:8. γινώσκειν τὸ θέλημα know the will Ro 2:18; Ac 22:14. ἡ ἐπίγνωσις τοῦ θ. αὐτοῦ Col 1:9; ποιεῖν τὸ θ. (1 Esdr 9:9; 4 Macc 18:16; JosAs 12:3) Mt 7:21; 12:50; Mk 3:35; J 4:34; 6:38b; 7:17; 9:31; Eph 6:6; Hb 10:7, 9 (both Ps 39:9), 36; 13:21; 1J 2:17; 2 Cl 5:1; 6:7; 8:4; 9:11; 10:1; 14:1; Pol 2:2. Also ποιεῖν τὰ θελήματα (Ps 102:21; Is 44:28; 2 Macc 1:3) GEb121, 34; Mk 3:35 v.l.; Ac 13:22. μὴ λειποτακτεῖν (q.v.) ἀπὸ τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ 1 Cl 21:4. προσέλθωμεν τῷ θ. αὐτοῦ let us heed the (Lord’s) will 33:8. ὑποτασσώμεθα τῷ θ. αὐτοῦ 34:5 (opp. ἀντιτασσόμενος 36:6; ἐναντιουμένους 61:1). εἶξαι … τῷ θ. τοῦ θεοῦ 56:1.

δ. ποιεῖν τὰ θελήματα τ. σαρκός do what the flesh desires Eph 2:3.

② the act of willing or desiring, subjective sense, will

ⓐ of the human will (Ps 1:2) θελήματι ἀνθρώπου by an act of the human will 2 Pt 1:21. ἐὰν … ἐπιδῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς θελήμασιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων 1 Cl 14:2 if we heedlessly permit ourselves to be controlled by the will of humans ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν περὶ τ. ἰδίου θ. have control over one’s desire 1 Cor 7:37; here θ. acc. to many has the connotation of sexual desire, as J 1:13 (θ. σαρκός, θ. ἀνδρός; cp. PGM 4, 1430; 1521; 1533). Of the will of an assembled crowd, directed toward the death of Jesus Lk 23:25.

ⓑ as a rule of the will of God (or Christ) ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ θ. Eph 1:11; ἡ εὐδοκία τοῦ θ. vs. 5 (cp. CD 3, 15). εἰ θέλοι τὸ θ. τοῦ θεοῦ if the will of God should so decree 1 Pt 3:17 (cp. Just., D. 119, 1 θελήματι τοῦ θελήσαντος). θελήματι θεοῦ by God’s will ITr 1:1; Pol 1:3. Also διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ Ro 15:32; 1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; 8:5; Eph 1:1; Col 1:1; 2 Ti 1:1; 1 Cl 32:3f; Χριστοῦ AcPl Ha 5, 35; also διὰ τὸ θέλημα Rv 4:11 or ἐν τ. θελήματι τ. θεοῦ Ro 1:10; ἐν θ. θεοῦ 1 Cl 49:6; AcPl Ha 7, 13; AcPlCor 2:26; cp. 1 Cl ins; IEph ins, or ἐκ θελήματος θεοῦ (cp. Ps 27:7) 1 Cl 42:2; πρὸς τὸ θ. according to (the master’s) will Hs 9, 5, 2. Also κατὰ τὸ θ. (1 Esdr 8:16) Gal 1:4; 1J 5:14; 1 Pt 4:19; IPhld ins; ISm 1:1; 1 Cl 20:4; Hm 12, 6, 2; MPol 2:1 (Just., D. 85, 4 al.).—DELG s.v. ἐθέλω. M-M. TW.