The Dual Wills of God

 

Direct lexical entries for Thelema (θέλημα) and Boulema (βούλημα) are absent. However, the lexicon does define the accompanying Greek verb προορίζω (proorizo), used in Ephesians 1:5, as "to predetermine, decide beforehand," specifically noting its New Testament use for "God decreeing from eternity".

Lexical Definitions

• Boulema (βούλημα) / Boulomai (βούλομαι): In classical and Koine Greek, this root refers to a deliberate resolve, a calculated decision, or a purposed counsel. It carries an intellectual, cognitive weight, describing a blueprint or a sovereign decree arrived at through rational deliberation.
• Thelema (θέλημα) / Thelo (θέλω): This term designates a will, desire, wish, or inclination. It is rooted in the emotional and volitional faculties, describing what someone takes pleasure in, yearns for, or desires to happen based on their personal disposition.

Clarifying the Contexts (2 Peter 3:9 & Ephesians 1:5)

Just as with 1 Peter 2:9 in our previous discussion, we must first clarify the underlying Greek in the specific verses you are analyzing:

1. 2 Peter 3:9 uses the root of Boulema (specifically the participle boulomenos / βουλόμενος): "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise... not willing [boulomenos - resolving/decreeing] that any should perish..."
2. Ephesians 1:5 actually uses the root of Thelema: "...according to the good pleasure of his will [thelematos]."

Why the Authors Chose These Roots

In 2 Peter 3:9, Peter uses the root of Boulema because he is addressing a judicial and administrative delay in God's judgment. The context is the timing of the end of the world. Peter is stating that God has not made a fixed, irreversible decree (boulema) for their immediate destruction; rather, His deliberate counsel is to hold back the final judgment to allow a rational window for repentance.

In Ephesians 1:5, Paul specifically pairs Thelema with the verb proorizo. Paul uses proorizo to establish that adoption was predetermined and decreed from eternity. But by grounding this eternal decree in God's Thelema, Paul ensures the reader knows this rigid sovereign act was born out of God's deep, emotional desire and good pleasure, not just a cold calculation.

Counterfactual Analysis: Shifting from Boulema to Thelema

If we imagine the author of 2 Peter 3:9 swapping boulomenos for a form of thelema/thelo, the theological weight would shift dramatically:

• From Judicial Restraint to Emotional Yearning: If 2 Peter 3:9 used Thelema ("not desiring that any should perish"), the verse would shift from an explanation of God's administrative timeline to a glimpse into God's emotional vulnerability. It would move the focus away from God's sovereign decree (withholding the eschatological judgment) and toward His emotional desire (His heart breaking over the lost).
• The Shift in Human Agency: Theologically, a boulema (decree) is often viewed as deterministic—if God had resolved it, it would happen. Because Peter says God is not "resolving" (boulomenos) their destruction, it explains why the earth is still standing. If Peter had used Thelema, it would imply that God's deepest emotional desires can be thwarted by human rebellion, emphasizing a relational theology where God's wishes do not always translate into sovereignly executed realities.