first
protos marks what stands first in sequence or, in some contexts, what is foremost in rank.
The supplied verses chiefly use the term for what comes before another event, person, item, or stage in an ordered sequence; a smaller group applies it to prominence or foremost standing among people.
Senses in use
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Prior in an order or sequence · dominant
The term marks an item, action, or stage placed before what follows. In Acts 13:46, with an accusative singular neuter form, the clause places speaking the word to its hearers before the turn to the Gentiles; in 1 Timothy 3:10, testing precedes service. It also orders listed roles in 1 Corinthians 12:28, the rising of the dead in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, prison posts in Acts 12:10, and two contrasted arrangements in Hebrews 10:9.
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Foremost or leading in standing · common
With personal plural and singular forms, the term can identify people presented as prominent within a group. In 1 Timothy 1:15, the nominative singular masculine form occurs in Paul's statement about himself among sinners, while Acts 13:50 and Mark 6:21 refer to socially prominent people; Luke 13:30 contrasts those called first and last.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the ordering use with “first,” including ordered actions, lists, and contrasts. In passages about standing among people, it uses “foremost” or “leading”; These renderings only reflect the clauses' overall presentation.