The Greek deuteroprotos is a compound of deuteros (second) and protos (first), meaning 'second-first' — a phrase whose precise meaning has puzzled interpreters for centuries. It appears only once in the New Testament.
Deuteroprotos in Luke 6:1 — 'on a Sabbath called deuteroproto' — is one of the most debated textual oddities in the Gospels. Most modern translations simply translate it 'a Sabbath' or note the textual uncertainty. Various interpretations include: the second Sabbath after Passover in a series; the first Sabbath of the second month; or a scribal harmonization. Whatever its precise meaning, the context is Jesus and His disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath, prompting Pharisaic objection. Jesus responds by invoking David eating the showbread and declaring Himself 'Lord of the Sabbath.' The Sabbath question in Luke 6 is ultimately about Christology — who has authority to define the meaning of sacred time? The answer is the one who is both 'second' (the Son) and 'first' (the eternal Word).