This adjective describes actions taken reluctantly or under constraint rather than by free choice. In 1 Corinthians 9:17, Paul contrasts voluntary versus involuntary ministry, noting that even unwilling service carries responsibility. Classical Greek distinguished sharply between willing (βουλόμενος) and unwilling action. The multilingual glosses (Spanish 'involuntariamente', French 'contre-gré', German 'unfreiwillig') all emphasize the absence of willing consent, crucial to Paul's argument about stewardship.