proteuo describes holding first place, as the clause in Colossians 1:18 presents it in relation to everything.

The attested use presents holding first place in relation to everything, in the clause of Colossians 1:18.

1. Holding first place in everything · dominant

   The present active nominative singular masculine participle occurs in the clause concluding Colossians 1:18; in Colossians 1:18 the APB renders the result as "so that he might come to have first place in everything."

   Colossians 1:18

In the Anselm Project Bible: In Colossians 1:18, the APB presents the clause as "so that he might come to have first place in everything." This rendering confirms the clause's overall presentation rather than isolating a precise English equivalent.