A verb meaning to be zealous, jealous, or to ardently desire something. It can describe positive zeal (earnest spiritual desire) or negative jealousy (envious coveting). The word spans the spectrum from holy passion for God to destructive envy of others, depending entirely on its object.
Zeloo and its cognates reveal that the same underlying passion — intense desire — can be either holy or destructive depending on its object and orientation. God himself is described as jealous for his people with a holy jealousy. Paul is jealous over the Corinthians with a godly jealousy. But jealousy directed at human success is listed among the deeds of the flesh. The solution is not to extinguish passion but to rightly direct it — toward God, his kingdom, and his gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:31 commands: 'Eagerly desire the greater gifts' — zeloo rightly ordered is essential to spiritual life.