Joy
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(1 Pet. 1:8)—delight arising from a good received or confidently hoped for. Christian joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and can coexist with grief, persecution, and longing because its deepest object is God and the salvation revealed in Christ. Peter speaks of believers who, though they do not yet see Christ, rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy. Biblical joy is therefore more than emotional excitement: it is grateful participation in God’s goodness and promised kingdom.