A common bumper sticker begins “Happiness is…” followed by the driver’s favorite activity or object. The term was avoided in most of the older translations of the New Testament. As translations and paraphrases have sought to be more acceptable to modern culture, the term “happiness” appears more often. The older translations used the term joy.
When asked, “What translations use the term happiness the most?” Microsoft Copilot gives the answer:
Among major English Bible translations, the ones that use the word “happiness” the most are the modern, readability‑focused versions (NLT, NIV, CSB, NCV, GNT). More formal translations (KJV, ESV, NASB) rarely use the word “happiness” and prefer “blessed,” “joy,” or “gladness.”
So, what is the difference between happiness and joy? Microsoft Copilot defines happiness as:
. . . a blend of positive emotion and meaningful life satisfaction—a state of well‑being that can be momentary or enduring, shaped by pleasure, purpose, relationships, and personal values.
Copilot defines joy as:
. . . the deep, settled gladness that arises from recognizing and participating in God’s grace, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and resilient in trials. It is not emotional positivity but a theological reality: grace recognized becomes joy experienced.
The Greek noun translated as “joy” is chara. The verb translated as “rejoice” is chairo. The first occurrence of both chara and chairo is in John’s gospel account when the Jews attempted to sow discord between John the Baptist and Jesus (Jn 3:29). The writer sets the stage for the meaning of joy in the remainder of his gospel account when he quotes the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (3:30)
In chapter 4:36, Jesus uses the parable of a sower and reaper rejoicing together. In chapter 8:56, Jesus adds the element of expectation to the concept of joy when He states that Abraham rejoiced upon hearing the promise of the coming Messiah. In 11:15, Jesus made the surprising statement that He was glad Lazarus died. Then He explained that it was an opportunity to help them believe. In 14:28, Jesus gives a gentle rebuke to His disciples who expressed sorrow instead of rejoicing when told of His impending death. In 16:20-22, Jesus promised that their sorrow would soon be turned to rejoicing. In 20:20, the subsequent rejoicing was seeing the crucified, risen Lord Jesus Christ.
A review of all the occurrences of chara in John’s gospel account supports the meaning of biblical joy as finding its origin in the grace (charis) of God. Its first occurrence is 3:29. In 15:11 it occurs twice. The context is the metaphor of Jesus as the true vine. Genuine joy comes from abiding in our Lord Jesus Christ and through Him enjoying our relationship to God His Father, and ours. In 17:13, joy is abiding
Happiness, by definition, comes from events, things, and people in this life. Happiness is temporary. Abiding joy is present tense and permanent. It is the mark of all who are genuinely born of God.
Do you have abiding joy?