Bible Dictionary
WILL-WORSHIP
Will-worship is religious devotion originating in human choice rather than God’s command. It may appear wise or rigorous, but Scripture regards it as self-imposed worship lacking true power against sin.
Definition
Will-worship is worship that originates in human choice rather than divine command. It consists of arbitrary religious acts that may be difficult to perform and may appear wise, yet are worthless because they arise from the human will rather than God’s will.
Biblical Usage
In Colossians 2:23, will-worship is presented as a show of wisdom. The term describes self-chosen religious devotion and is associated with practices that have an appearance of wisdom but lack true effectiveness.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>In Col 2:23, "a show of wisdom in will-worship," for ethelothreskia), a word found nowhere else but formed exactly like "will-worship": worship originating in the human will as opposed to the divine, arbitrary religious acts, worthless despite their difficulty of performance.</p>