Where do you find “Holy Eros” in the New Testament? The primary word for “love”— either God’s LOVE for us or our LOVE for God— is “αγαπη” (agapā). This is the “love” you find in 1 Corinthians 13, the great LOVE chapter. It is used throughout the NT to express God’s LOVE for us, as well as our LOVE for God and for other people. It is the highest form of LOVE, self-sacrificing LOVE—completely giving of oneself to the needs of others, whereas “ερως” (erōs) is sexual, passionate “love.” The word “ερως” is found nowhere in the Greek New Testament. Nor is it found in the Greek apocrypha (or deuterocanonical scriptures). Indeed, there is only one instance of it found in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament, and that singular instance is found in Proverbs 30:16 where it is written in English translation:
Another Greek word “φιλια” (philia) that might be translated as “love” but would be better translated as “friendship.” It occurs just once in the NT in James 4:4. The masculine form “φιλος” (philos) would best be translated as “friend.” It occurs 27 times in the NT. The verbal form is “φιλεω” (phileō), best translated as “like.” It occurs 21 times in the NT.
However, the noun “αγαπη” (agapā), the highest form of love occurs 106 times in the NT, and the verbal form of this word “αγαπαω” occurs 109 times.