Archegos

I recently preached a message about Jesus being our ‘Archegos’. My good friend, and youth leader at our church, David Deskins, introduced me to this awesome concept. David is a natural with languages. He is self taught in Russian, Greek, and Klingon (yeah, the Star Trek stuff). It’s a word that comes to us from the Greek culture full of meaning and is used 4 times in the New Testament (always in reference to Jesus). So what is Archegos? The Greek word, ἀρχηγός (Transliteration: archēgos) comes from two root words. One is the word ἀρχή (Transliteration: archē) meaning, “(properly abstract) a commencement, or (concrete) chief (in various applications of order, time, place or rank) :- beginning, corner, (at the, the) first (estate), magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule.” (Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary) Our word archeology employs the same prefix, and we know it’s the study of the ‘beginnings’ of men, civilizations, and societies. Archegos also comes from ἄγω (Transliteration: agō) which is, “a primary verb; properly to lead; by implication to bring, drive, (reflexive) go, (special) pass (time), or (figurative) induce :- be, bring (forth), carry, (let) go, keep, lead away, be open.” (Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary)

So what does Archegos mean? The definition in Strong’s is this, “a chief leader :- author, captain, prince.” Within this definition we get the 3 translations, in the King James, author and captain (once each in Hebrews) and prince (twice in Acts). Let’s take author, translated as such in Hebrews 12:2 in the KJV. Other translations use; source (HCSB), champion (NLT), and guide (BBE). This goes to show the richness of the word. In Hebrews 2:10, the KJV translates it as ‘captain’. The book of Acts has two references of the usages of Archegos, both translated ‘prince’ (Acts 3:15 & Acts 5:31). According to my good friend, and amateur linguist, this just scratches the surface of the meaning of Archegos. Its a word impregnated with meaning, richness, and points us to aspects of Christ that are hard too convey with one English word.

In exploring the meaning, I came across this explanation (of Hebrews 12:2-“author”), “But the reference seems to be here to the βραβευς, or judge in the games, whose business it was to admit the contenders, and to give the prize to the conqueror. Jesus is here represented as this officer; every Christian is a contender in this race of life, and for eternal life. The heavenly course is begun under Jesus; and under him it is completed.” (Adam Clarke’s Commentary) Another quote, that sheds some light, “The word "author"—ἀρχηγὸν—(marg, beginner)—means, properly, the source, or cause of anything; or one who makes a beginning. It is rendered in Acts 3:16, Acts 5:31, prince; in 2:10, captain; and in the place before us, author. It does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. The phrase, "the beginner of faith," or the leader on of faith, would express the idea. He is at the head of all those who have furnished an example of confidence in God, for he was himself the most illustrious instance of it. The expression, then, does not mean properly that he produces faith in us, or that we believe because he causes us to believe—whatever may be the truth about that-but that he stands at the head as the most eminent example that can be referred to on the subject of faith. We are exhorted to look to him, as if at the Grecian games there was one who stood before the racer who had previously carried away every palm of victory; who had always been triumphant, and with whom there was no one who could be compared.” (Barnes' Notes on the New Testament, by Albert Barnes)

But my friend David, claims that these explanations only scratch the surface of what Archegos truly implies. A great explanation of the term is found here, “The variety of suggested translations already noted attest the complexity of the matter. "Pioneer-founder-victor-leader-ruler-hero" is obviously too cumbersome and the English reader is likely to miss the connotation that these are not mutually exclusive functions but all held and performed simultaneously by the same individual. Since some choice must be made perhaps something like "pioneer prince" or "founding king" is the best we can do. Certainly here, as in so many cases, the translator could do well to include a note which provides the reader with some idea of the full meaning of the term.” (http://www.preteristarchive.com/BibleStudies/Bible_NT/Hebrews/1986_scott_archegos.pdf) I think I found an archetype of this concept, from early American History. The greatest Archegos of American History is a man named Daniel Boone.

“Daniel Boone was a man, was a big man…” a song composed about the Daniel Boone of history, who became…well, we’ll get there shortly. “Daniel Boone was born on November 2, 1734, near Reading, Pennsylvania. In 1755, he left home on a military expedition during the French and Indian War. In 1769, Boone led an expedition and discovered a trail to the far west though the Cumberland Gap. In 1775, he settled an area he called Boonesborough in Kentucky, but faced Indian resistance. On September 26, 1820, Boone died in Femme Osage Creek, Missouri.” (http://www.biography.com/people/daniel-boone-9219543) This is a very ‘brief’ biography of Boone. He was a pioneer, frontiersman, soldier, leader, hero, and...legend. Daniel Boone actually helps us see (as limited as any other analogy, though) how Jesus fits this concept of Archegos.

Let’s start with the place we began with, author- (Hebrews 12:2). An author is not just someone who writes a story, they conceive it. This could be even described as a pioneer. Daniel Boone, decided to explore the frontier, at the time, conceived in his mind as a place to go, and eventually brought (or better, lead) a group to the new frontier. In eternity past, Jesus conceived the plan of salvation…1 Peter 1:20 “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,” Ephesians 1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” He is the Archegos, and it’s more than an author.

Archegos carries the notion of a founder, as well. Daniel Boone founded a little place called, Boonesboro. Christ is so much more than a mere founder of a city, though He is preparing a place, John 14:2 (KJV) “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” Ken Page said, “The idea of foundation speaks of the very core of our understanding of truth & life.” (http://web.prtel.com/kcpage/Jesus%20the%20only%20True%20Foundation%203.htm) A song, written many years ago called, ‘The Solid Rock’, by William B. Bradbury, said:

My hope is built on nothing less

than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus' name

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found;

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

1 Corinthians 3:11 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” As our Archegos, He is more than a mere founder of a place.

This Archegos carries the idea of a ruler and/or leader. Boone lead a group into Kentucky, which at the time was the untamed wilderness, they followed because they trusted he had been there. Archegos is used twice in Acts, as prince (again in the KJV), 3:15 & Acts 5:31 “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” In the HCSB we see it translated as “source”-an interesting comment on the use of Archegos. While the NLT uses “author” which we find similarly translated in the KJV in Hebrews 12:2. As our ruler and leader, he leads us, translated as captain in Hebrews 2:10 “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Leaders truly inspire others to follow, as opposed to ordering them to do so. Our Archegos does so much more than inspire or lead, He emboldens us to go.

We are not finished, again this idea of Archegos carries so much more than a simple meaning. One meaning that could be pulled from its vast depth is a hero. Daniel Boone’s daughter was captured, along with two other teenage girls, by Shawnee and Cherokee Indians. He later rescued his daughter, Jemima and the other two girls. “The capture and rescue of Jemima Boone and the Callaway girls is a famous incident in the colonial history of Kentucky. They were captured by a Cherokee-Shawnee raiding party and rescued by Daniel Boone and his party, celebrated for their success. The incident was portrayed in 19th-century literature and paintings: James Fenimore Cooper created a fictionalized version of the episode in his novel The Last of the Mohicans (1826). The incident was the subject of a painting entitled The Abduction of Boone’s Daughter by the Indians (c. 1855) by Charles Ferdinand Wimar.” (http://medlibrary.org/medwiki/Capture_and_rescue_of_Jemima_Boone) Jesus came to rescue us. Salvation is defined, in part, as rescue. Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Though the incident would propel Boone to greater heights of notoriety, our HERO is far greater, and rescued us from so much more.

There is one final aspect of Archegos I wish to mention, and that is the idea of legend. Daniel Boone became a legend very early, even before his death. John Filson’s book-‘The Adventures of Col. D. Boone’ published in 1784, about 36 years before his death, started the legend of Daniel Boone. A legend is becoming extremely famous, or very well known. Sadly, sometimes things told are/were not true, as with Boone. One of my favorite TV shows, ever, was 'Daniel Boone', a Disney production with Fess Parker in the title role. Parker was actually reprising his role from another frontiersman, Davy Crockett, which he betrayed in a Disney movie, and the character was essentially the same. Actually Boone was not a “big man” as the theme song trumpeted, nor possibly ever wore a coonskin cap, I know, your bubble is busted. In the Old Testament was an Archegos, of sorts, Israel’s rich, wise, and magnificent king; Solomon. He was visited by the queen of Sheba, who wanted to know if the claims of him were true. In a statement, which surely alludes to him as a type and shadow of Christ, she said (2 Chronicles 9:6) “Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.” Surely you see that Jesus far exceeds any legend that could have been formed of Him. The half, has not even been told.

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