Jesus as the Originator and Trailblazer: A Study of Archegos

I’ve heard countless sermons, Bible studies, and seminars. While many were good and beneficial, only a few still stand out in my mind years later. One of those was a message on the Greek word archegos (G747 ἀρχηγός). This word only shows up four times in the New Testament, but because it describes Jesus Christ it’s a word with great significance. Its root words are used more often–58 times for arche (G746 ἀρχή) and 71 times for ago (G71 ἄγω)–and they can provide additional clues as to the meaning and depth of archegos.

According to Spiros Zodhiates’ The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: New Testament, archegos is a noun derived from arche, beginning or rule, and ago, to lead. It means “originator, founder, leader, chief, first, prince, as distinguished from simply being the cause. One may be the cause of something but not the beginning” (entry 747). In other words, the archegos is the reason something begins and the one who begins it. Thayer’s Greek dictionary adds that archegos also means “one that takes the lead in any thing and thus affords an example, a predecessor in a matter, pioneer.” Once the thing is begun, the archegos models how to continue forward.

Archegos of Life

The first time archegos appears in the New Testament is in Acts. Peter and John were going into the temple and a lame man asked them for help. Peter locked eyes with him and said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!” (Acts 3:6, NET). The man was miraculously healed, and naturally this attracted a throng of people marveling at what just happened. Peter takes this moment to share the gospel (Acts 3:1-11).

When Peter saw this, he declared to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if we had made this man walk by our own power or piety? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate after he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a man who was a murderer be released to you. You killed the Originator (archegos) of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this fact we are witnesses!”

Acts 3:12-15, NET

Here, the NET translates archegos as “Originator.” Some of the other common translation choices include Prince and Author, with other words like Source, Lord, and “one who made” also showing up in a few versions. Whichever translation you go with, this is a stunning statement. People killed the great Ruler who made life possible and enacted its beginning. To get more depth on this title for Jesus, and what it means for us and Peter’s listeners, we can turn to the letter to Laodicea in Revelation. Here’s a quote from Zodihiates explaining how the two verses relate:

“Jesus Christ is called the archegos of life (Acts 3:15) because He is he arche, the beginning or originator of God’s creation. This excludes Him from Himself being a product of that beginning.”

Zodhiates, The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: New Testament, entry G747

Other verses in the New Testament identify Jesus (or The Word, as He was known back then) as the God through whom all things were made (John 1:1-4; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:15-16). In other words, He is the originator or cause of creation. That includes the creation of human life. It is therefore all the more hard-hitting when Peter confronts his listeners in Acts with killing Jesus when He says they killed the One who was the very source of all life. And it makes us appreciate Jesus’s sacrifice more when we gain a deeper realization of how powerful and wonderful He is, and what He sacrificed to save the people He and His Father worked together to create.

Archegos and Savior

The second time archegos shows up in Acts is when Peter and the other apostles are called before the council and high priest to answer charges for spreading the gospel. In this verse, most translations choose Prince or Leader for archegos, though a few use Ruler.

But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people. The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his right hand as Leader (archegos) and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these events, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Acts 5:29-32, NET

The clue here for how to translate archegos seems to be God’s action of exalting Jesus. In this case, translators lean toward the aspect of meaning having to do with authority and ruling. But like other English words, “leader” or “prince” don’t fully capture the nuances of this Greek word. We can also keep the originator and trailblazer aspects of the word in mind, though the primary meaning here has to do with God exalting him to a position of power.

Notice the exaltation is linked to Jesus’s role as savior. This holds true in Philippians as well, where Paul writes, “He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross! As a result God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name (Phil. 2:8-9, NET). Paul continues on to say that as a natural consequence of what Jesus did and His exaltation as Lord, you should “continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God (Phil. 2:12-13, NET). Archegos is not used in this letter, but I think it helps us see how Jesus’s role as Ruler and Savior also relate to Him as the Originator of life and the one blazing a trail for us to follow. 

Archegos of Their Salvation

Hebrews is the only other New Testament book that uses the word archegos. Here, translators’ word choices include Captain, Author, Creator, Pioneer, Founder, Source, Originator, Leader, and Champion. This verse once again links Jesus’s role as archegos with salvation.

but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone. For it was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the pioneer (archegos) of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For indeed he who makes holy and those being made holy all have the same origin, and so he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters

Hebrews 2:9-11, NET (bold italics mark a quotation from Ps. 8:5)

Once again, we’re reminded that Jesus is the originator of life, since He is the one “for whom and through whom all things exist.” He’s also the Author of eternal life, pioneering the way for people to go from physical, temporary human life to eternal, spiritual life after salvation. This is a process. He is bringing many sons to glory and making His brothers and sisters holy.

Also, notice that God the Father made Jesus “perfect through suffering.” The Greek word translated “perfect” is teleioo (G5048
τελειόω). It means that something or someone has been perfected, completed, or accomplished. For Jesus, this process is complete. He “has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits (aparchē) of those who have fallen asleep” ( 1 Cor. 15:20, NET). Now, just as His Father brought Him to perfection, He’s continuing to bring to completion the process of salvation that He began in us.

Archegos of Faith

As the letter of Hebrews continues, the author dives deep into Jesus’s roles and the meaning of the New Covenant. As the letter draws to a close, we find the famous faith chapter (Heb. 11) followed by this statement:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us,  keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer (archegos) and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-3, NET (italics mark an allusion to Ps. 110:1)

Here, translations for archegos include Author, Leader, Pioneer, Initiator, Source, Originator, “one who began,” and “the champion who initiates.” I don’t know of any translation using “trailblazer” (though “pioneer” carries a very similar idea), but that’s what I think of when I read this verse. He went first to blaze the trail and leave a clearly marked path behind Him so we could follow. I’d like to quote Zodhiates’s dictionary again to help us understand what’s going on in this verse grammatically.

“This may mean that Jesus is the one who initiates (and completes) faith in the souls of men. However, because faith is actually articular (tes pisteos) it may be best to understand it objectively referring to what is believed. In the context faith is treated as a way of life. The author summons a ‘cloud of witnesses’ whose lives testify to the reward of faith. Jesus stands as the chief witness for it was He who blazed the trail and gave us the ideal model of ‘the faith.'”

Zodhiates, The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: New Testament, entry G747

We can think of Jesus not only as the starting place for our faith, but as the one who provides a model of faithful life for us to imitate. As we examine the phrase “archegos … of our faith,” it adds another layer of meaning to our ongoing study of faith this year (see “Relational Faith: A Book Review and Theological Reflection“). You might recall we’ve been defining faith as “active loyalty, trust, hope, knowledge, and persuasion … within the new covenant brought about through Christ’s Atonement” (Schmidt, Relational Faith, p. 11). As we follow the Archegos of faith, we’re to do the same type of faithful actions and demonstrate the same loyalty to Jesus as He showed to His Father.

Also notice that Jesus is described as the “perfecter.” This is the Greek word teleiotes (G5051 τελειωτής). It’s the word for the one who brings something or someone to the state of perfect completion described by teleioo. Just like the Father perfected Jesus, bringing His trailblazing walk of faith to full completion and resurrected life, Jesus is doing the same as He (and the Father) work in us today.

I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began (enarchomai) a good work in you will perfect (epiteleō) it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6, NET

Here in Philippians, “began” and “perfect” are translated from words derived from arche and teleo. Knowing Jesus as the Originator and Trailblazer of life, salvation, and faith provides incredible encouragement. He does not leave things unfinished. Together with His Father, He began a good work starting with the origin of life, He pioneered the path of faith for us to follow, and He has the ruling power to bring salvation to full completion. All of that is encompassed in this title, Archegos. And I hope that learning more about Jesus as the Archegos will awe and encourage you, as it has for me over many years.

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