Jesus the Pioneer of Faith
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the stake, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
*Archēgos* is rendered **Pioneer** — the Pioneer Translation's name for this title — the one who goes first and blazes the path. *Stauros* is rendered **stake** rather than the conventional "cross," reflecting its primary meaning of an upright post. *Teleiōtēn* is rendered **Perfecter**, meaning the one who brings faith to its complete and mature end — Jesus not only initiates faith but brings it to its fullest expression.
Berean Standard Bible
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2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford., scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
King James Version
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2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford., despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Goodspeed New Testament
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2fixing our eyes upon Jesus, our leader and example in faith, who in place of the happiness that belonged to him, submitted to a cross, caring nothing for its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Translation for Translators
T4T was designed as a tool for Bible translators, not as a devotional text. It makes implicit meaning explicit and flags figurative language with abbreviations. Gold [brackets] indicate translation notes. ◄Triangles► mark alternative renderings.Read more about how to read T4T →BSB and T4T shown with Greek annotations — · Why we show the Greek →
2And let us keep our minds on Jesus, as a runner keeps his eyes on the goal [MET]MetaphorT4T flags this as figurative language — the meaning is not literal. The translator should find a natural equivalent metaphor in their target language.. Jesus is the one we should imitate in the way he perfectly trusted God. When he died on the σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford. he endured it as he suffered greatly [MTY]MetonymyOne thing represents another — for example "hand" representing power or authority. T4T makes this explicit so translators can find a natural equivalent., instead of thinking about the things he would rejoice about later. He disregarded being disgraced by dying that way. He is now sitting at the place of highest honor [MTY]MetonymyOne thing represents another — for example "hand" representing power or authority. T4T makes this explicit so translators can find a natural equivalent. at the throne where God rules.
Berean Standard Bible
Goodspeed New Testament
BSB and T4T shown with Greek annotations — · Why we show the Greek →
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford., scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
fixing our eyes upon Jesus, our leader and example in faith, who in place of the happiness that belonged to him, submitted to a cross, caring nothing for its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Berean Standard Bible
Goodspeed New Testament
King James Version
BSB and T4T shown with Greek annotations — · Why we show the Greek →
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford., scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
fixing our eyes upon Jesus, our leader and example in faith, who in place of the happiness that belonged to him, submitted to a cross, caring nothing for its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford., despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
SBL
2
ἀφορῶντες look away from ἀφοράω aphoráō from G575 (ἀπό) and G3708 (ὁράω); to consider attentively look εἰς into εἰς eis a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose ( τὸν the ὁ ho the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) the, this, that, one, he, she, τῆς the ὁ ho the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) the, this, that, one, he, she, πίστεως faith πίστις pístis from G3982 (πείθω); persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a rel ἀρχηγὸν originator ἀρχηγός archēgós from G746 (ἀρχή) and G71 (ἄγω); a chief leader author, captain, prince καὶ and καί kaí apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too τελειωτὴν perfecter τελειωτής teleiōtḗs from G5048 (τελειόω); a completer, i.e. consummater finisher Ἰησοῦν Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsoûs of Hebrew origin (H03091); Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites Jesus , ὃς who ὅς hós probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article G3588 (ὁ)); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, ἀντὶ instead of ἀντί antí a primary particle; opposite, i.e. instead or because of (rarely in addition to) for, in the room of τῆς the ὁ ho the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) the, this, that, one, he, she, προκειμένης set before πρόκειμαι prókeimai from G4253 (πρό) and G2749 (κεῖμαι); to lie before the view, i.e. (figuratively) to be present (to the mind), to stand f αὐτῷ he αὐτός autós from the particle (perhaps akin to the base of G109 (ἀήρ) through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive χαρᾶς joy χαρά chará from G5463 (χαίρω); cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight gladness, X greatly, (X be exceeding) joy(-ful, -fully, -fulness, -o ὑπέμεινεν remain behind ὑπομένω hypoménō from G5259 (ὑπό) and G3306 (μένω); to stay under (behind), i.e. remain; figuratively, to undergo, i.e. bear (trials), ha σταυρὸν stauros (stake) σταυρός staurós from the base of G2476 (ἵστημι); a stake or post (as set upright), i.e. (specially), a pole or stauros (stake) (as an instrument o αἰσχύνης shame αἰσχύνη aischýnē from G153 (αἰσχύνομαι); shame or disgrace (abstractly or concretely) dishonesty, shame καταφρονήσας despise καταφρονέω kataphronéō from G2596 (κατά) and G5426 (φρονέω); to think against, i.e. disesteem despise , ἐν in ἐν en a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (mediall δεξιᾷ on the right hand δεξιός dexiós from G1209 (δέχομαι); the right side or (feminine) hand (as that which usually takes) right (hand, side) τε and τέ té a primary particle (enclitic) of connection or addition; both or also (properly, as correlation of G2532 (καί)) also, an τοῦ the ὁ ho the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) the, this, that, one, he, she, θρόνου throne θρόνος thrónos from (to sit); a stately seat (throne); by implication, power or (concretely) a potentate seat, throne τοῦ the ὁ ho the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) the, this, that, one, he, she, θεοῦ God θεός theós a deity, especially (with G3588 (ὁ)) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very X exceeding, Go κεκάθικεν sit καθίζω kathízō another (active) form for G2516 (καθέζομαι); to seat down, i.e. set (figuratively, appoint); intransitively, to sit (dow .
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the stauros (stake), scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Where the New Testament uses stauros, this site shows the Greek word alongside its primary classical meaning in brackets. Stauros meant stake or upright stake in classical Greek — the Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon (Oxford University Press) lists this as its first definition, citing Homer and Herodotus. The word itself does not specify material; wood is implied by the context of the era, not encoded in the Greek term.
Where the New Testament uses xylon, this site shows the Greek word alongside its meaning of tree or wood — xylon does specify material, and is already translated as tree by the NIV, ESV, and KJV in Acts 5:30, Galatians 3:13, and 1 Peter 2:24.
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The Greek word translated "author" here is archegos — pioneer, trailblazer, the one who goes first and cuts the path others follow. The companion word, teleiotes, means perfecter or completer — the one who brought the journey to its full end.
Mainstream readings often collapse these into honorary titles, missing the functional force: this is not a description of what Jesus is by nature, but of what he did by choice, step by costly step. The Functional Faith reading recovers something urgent here.
The Pioneer did not endure the wooden pole because suffering was abstract to him — he endured it because he was made of the same material as every person who would ever face shame, exhaustion, and the temptation to turn back. The joy set before him was not a theological comfort but a lived horizon — a destination that made the present cost bearable.
He scorned the shame not by being immune to it, but by fixing his own gaze past it, which is precisely what verse two calls us to do in return. That is the Pattern: not suffering avoided, but suffering absorbed and outlasted by a will anchored in what lies ahead.
Sit with this
The question worth sitting with is this: what horizon are you fixing your eyes on when the road narrows?
Sources
SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)License
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
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