{Whosoever goeth onward} (p(8373) ho proag(936e)). "Every one who
goes ahead. Proag(935c) literally means to go on before ( Mr 11:9 ).
That in itself is often the thing to do, but here the bad sense
comes out by the parallel clause. {And abideth not in the
teaching of Christ} (kai m(8820)men(936e) en t(8869) didach(8869) tou
Christou). Not the teaching about Christ, but that of Christ
which is the standard of Christian teaching as the walk of Christ
is the standard for the Christian's walk ( 1Jo 2:6 ). See  Joh
7:16  18:19 . These Gnostics claimed to be the progressives, the
advanced thinkers, and were anxious to relegate Christ to the
past in their onward march. This struggle goes on always among
those who approach the study of Christ. Is he a "landmark" merely
or is he our goal and pattern? Progress we all desire, but
progress toward Christ, not away from him. Reactionary
obscurantists wish no progress toward Christ, but desire to stop
and camp where they are. "True progress includes the past"
(Westcott). Jesus Christ is still ahead of us all calling us to
come on to him.