Proago: Moving Ahead

. Word of the Week

June 20, 2026

 

Proagō: Moving Ahead

 

Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.

2 John 9 NASB

 

Have you ever taken a toddler to the grocery store?  It can be a hair-raising experience, especially if they’re too big to stuff into the seat in the shopping cart.

Every mom or dad gives the same instruction:  Stay with me!  Don’t go running ahead on your own!

Running ahead can be a good thing, of course – if the person knows what they’re doing.  Film companies often send an advance team to scout possible locations for a movie in production.  And anyone contemplating a move to a new job across the country is wise to make a preliminary visit to make arrangements for the big transition.

The New Testament uses a Greek word that encompasses all the ways in which we can run ahead of our heavenly Parent.  The word is proagō [proh-AH-goh].  Appearing about 20 times, this word is built on two shorter Greek words:  pro (before) and agō (lead, go). The translation is simply “to go before, take the lead, move forward.”

Let’s consider some of the situations that this word describes:

1. In the book of Acts, it describes bringing someone out a jail cell.

• Herod arrested Peter and planned to “bring him forward” for trial and execution (Acts 12:6).
• The Philippian jailor brought Paul and Silas out of the prison and asked them how to be saved (Acts 16:30)
• The Roman governor brought Paul out of his cell for an interview with Herod Agrippa (Acts 25:26).

2. In the Gospels, the word describes a travel itinerary where someone goes ahead of you.

• The star went ahead of the wise men until it reached the manger in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:9).
• Jesus ordered his disciples to get in the boat and go ahead of him to the far side of the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22).
• When Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, there were crowds of cheering people walking in front of him and others trailing behind the donkey (Mark 11:9).
• Jesus gave his followers clear instructions: “After I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee” (Matthew 26:32). After the tomb was emptied angels repeated the instructions: “He is going ahead of you into Galilee; there you will see Him” (Matthew 28:7).

3. Occasionally proagō can mean “to go first” in time sequence rather than in a physical location.

• Jesus warned the religious leaders that “the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:31).
• Paul urged Timothy to strive courageously for the gospel “in accordance with the prophecies previously made [literally “going before”] concerning you” (1 Timothy 1:18).

All these uses of the word picture situations where going ahead is a good thing.  People were excited about His arrival.  They were obedient to His instructions.  Getting through the entry to the kingdom first is commendable.

Even emerging from the jail cell is a good thing as long as no one cuts off your head the moment you step out the door.

That’s why it is a little startling to find the word used to describe false teachers in 2 John 9.

The apostle is writing to warn believers about the folly of welcoming deceivers in the name of Christian love.  John is the apostle of love, but in 2 John he reminds us that truth is equally important.  The church was targeted by peddlers of heresy, people who taught a distorted picture of Jesus Christ.  John has more to say about them in this epistle and in 1 John, but our Greek word here gives a striking insight about their message.

The apostle describes these apostates as people who “go too far” (2 John 9 NASB).  Other translation render this phrase as “runs ahead” (NIV), “goes beyond” (CSB), “wanders away” (NLT), “goes on ahead” (ESV).  Like toddlers on the loose in the candy aisle, these people have launched themselves out of control.  Rather than staying under the watchful eye of their parent, they have chosen their own path.

It’s a vivid picture of someone who is not content with the gospel that we have received from the Lord.  The rest of the verse explains further.  These folks have refused to remain in the bounds of what Christ taught.  Instead, they have developed their own ideas and constructed a counterfeit version of Christianity.

They run ahead of Jesus, inventing claims he never made and making plans he never endorsed, building their own empire rather than seeking His kingdom.

Novelty is not always a recommendation.  We would do well to remember Christ’s admonition to “abide in me,” rather than looking for something to add to His teachings.

 

Study Hint:

I am impressed with the variety in Christ’s commands.  Sometimes He tells the disciples to go on ahead while He catches up later (Matthew 14:22).  Later he announces that He will go ahead to Galilee, where they can meet Him later (Matthew 26:28; 28:7; Mark 14:28; 16:7).  Clearly there is nothing automatically right or wrong about taking initiative and moving forward. The issue is whether we are staying in close connection with Jesus and responding to His voice. A recommended passage for meditation is John 15:1-16, where Jesus spoke extensively about “remaining” or “abiding” in Him, the same word we find in 2 John 9.  You can view a “Word of the Week” study on “abide” by clicking HERE.

Coming Up

Suppose that your physical health was just as good as your spiritual health.  Would you feeling robust or would you be limping along, wheezing with every step?  The apostle John uses a vivid Greek word to explain this concept in his third epistle.  Join me next week to find out how this principle works.

©Ezra Project 2026