During our era, who uses the words joyed or joying in writing or speech? They seem clumsy. Even the computer fumbles with them underlining them as if to say that these are unrecognizable wordings. A much used noun (joy) is made into various striking verbs. I have used the texts on various occasions during decades, and just caught the words in recent readings of the King James Version of the Bible. To use the words in conversation would instigate pause in the listener, perhaps asking for a repeat, or explanation of meaning – suggesting that I was distorting language. I have not seen the words in other literature. My topics for oral and written purposes have often included joy in them, and I have written unpublished essays on the subject – but never used joyed or joying. I missed something in not doing so even though there are equivalents in use.
Is this the best that the translators had four hundred plus years ago, or have we lost perception so to make the subject less vital than it ought to be for us? There are other words related to joy. The apostle may have meant delighted – perhaps ecstatic. He would be delighted (joyed), if we accept the modern translations of these passages. Is the word delight or its derivatives adequate? One quickly acknowledges that delight is important to the meaning of the Greek word used by the Apostle in both the Corinthian and the Colossian Epistles. But there is more than most English speaking persons understand the symbol to mean when they use the word and derivatives of the primary Greek verb (chairo). The meaning includes calmness (thoughtfulness), cheerfulness (happiness), that includes good wishes such as Godspeed, Farewell, Glad greeting, and Fully rejoicing, with some accent on fully – above common levels of rejoicing. The Apostle was quite intent on his experience of happiness in relationship with the people of the two churches – at Corinth and Colosse. We assume he would write the same thoughts about other congregations with whom he had invested months of his Mediterranean life. He was impressed above the ordinary with what they had become, and what they had done, and what they would likely do. He lived in a glory-ous world/heaven context for Christians. (We should read G. K. Chesterton here.)
During my early years of biblical studies, I thought of the Apostle Paul as rather stern, likely intense to a degree that I would have some difficulty adapting fellowship with him – even though I would want to be a friend, and could be a friend, with him. I was wrong, but not about the friendship. The Apostle Paul had within him the desire that, under God, everyone succeed, that they reach their potential, and that they aspire to Christ-likeness. With all his talents, exceeding the talents of Barnabas, a man of great integrity and leadership as well as personable and selfless attitudes, the Apostle Paul also had personable and inspiriting attitudes that made real friends and effective Christian workers. Those workers included Timothy, Titus, and a host of others like Epaphroditus. Priscilla is referred to and Junia appears to have gained special status. He listed protégés, in Romans 16. Paul lived and taught genuine human and spiritual delight. We wonder if we have not lost – sheer joy in Christ. We can avoid being under the circumstances, or despair and negativism that may seize us. We can choose to be delighted and delightful. To be so is just one of the gifts of Christ. I continue to be much taken by some of the stories that came out of World War II, when some deprived prisoners were able to find joy despite the miserable and inhumane conditions under which they sought to survive. Their fortitude and attitude assisted countless numbers of their fellow prisoners to see the better side of mankind, and the possibilities of God’s hope in ugly circumstances they could not escape or change. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020