'First' in the Bible

But no one can go into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man, and then he will ransack and rob his house.

The earth produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head [of grain], then the mature grain in the head.

He was saying to her, “First let the children [of Israel] be fed, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the pet dogs (non-Jews).”

They asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first [before the Messiah comes]?”

He answered them, “Elijah does come first and restores and reestablishes all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things [grief and physical distress] and be treated with contempt [utterly despised and rejected]?

Sitting down [to teach], He called the twelve [disciples] and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all [in importance] and a servant of all.”

But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”

and whoever wishes to be first and most important among you must be slave of all.

There were seven brothers; the first [one] took a wife, and died leaving no children.

Then one of the scribes [an expert in Mosaic Law] came up and listened to them arguing [with one another], and noticing that Jesus answered them well, asked Him, “Which commandment is first and most important of all?”

Jesus answered, “The first and most important one is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord;

and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.’

For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These things are the beginning of the birth pangs [the intolerable anguish and suffering].

The gospel [that is, the good news regarding the way of salvation] must first be preached to all the [Gentile] nations.

On the first day [of the festival] of Unleavened Bread, when [as was customary] they sacrificed the Passover lamb, His disciples asked Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

[Now Jesus, having risen [from death] early on the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.