προκόπτω

G4298 is a verb for advancing, progressing, moving forward, or proceeding further. Its six governed forms do not make advancement automatically good. Luke describes Jesus advancing in wisdom, stature, and favor. Paul describes his former advance in Judaism, the night advancing toward day, irreverent talk advancing into greater ungodliness, false teachers not advancing further, and evil people advancing from bad to worse. Direction and outcome determine whether progress is faithful, temporal, limited, or destructive.

Luke 2:52 speaks of Jesus' real human development after the temple scene. It should be held with the Gospel's wider witness rather than used to deny his identity or to create a developmental timetable for every child. Galatians 1:14 locates Paul's former advance within his own Jewish life and zeal for ancestral traditions. Paul does not turn Judaism or Jewish people into a synonym for evil; his argument contrasts his former course with God's gracious call and the gospel he received.

Second Timothy shows that activity, influence, and movement can deepen ungodliness rather than signal health. Ministry growth, platform reach, revenue, attendance, speed, academic ranking, and productivity are therefore not self-authenticating. The word also must not rank people whose age, disability, illness, caregiving load, trauma, poverty, or limited opportunity changes the pace or visibility of development. Faithful progress is assessed by truth, love, holiness, endurance, teachability, and the passage's stated goal, not by comparison or relentless output.

Six governed forms describe Jesus' development, Paul's former religious advancement, the night nearing its end, harmful teaching spreading, false teachers reaching a limit, and evil people worsening.