Word of the Week
April 5, 2025
Apochōrizomai: Aftermath of a Blowup
Now it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.
Acts 15:39 NASB2020
An explosion sends debris flying outward in all directions.
I remember the day my mother put a pile of green beans in her pressure cooker and turned on the flame. This was in the day before pressure cookers had safety releases, and she left it heating too long. Suddenly the lid went flying one way and the beans ended up on the ceiling!
Explosions in relationships also scatter people who were formerly together. Last week we examined a conflict between the apostle Paul and his long-time partner Barnabas. A hot disagreement flared up, with drastic consequences. Because of their “sharp disagreement,” they “separated from one another” (Acts 15:39).
This week we will consider the Greek word used in Acts to describe the outcome of their argument. Luke employs the term apochōrizomai [ah-paw-koh-RIDZ-ow-mye] which means “to separate.” It is a strong term, rarely used, built on another Greek for separation. Chōrizō is the base, and it serves as a key to the meaning.
Chōrizō appears 13 times in the New Testament. Sometimes it meant “to put physical distance between people or things.”
- Jesus told His disciples not to leave Jerusalem until the promised Holy Spirit had come on them (Acts 1:4).
- After preaching on Mars Hill, Paul left Athens and headed for Corinth (Acts 18:1).
- The Roman emperor once decreed that all Jews should leave the city of Rome (Acts 18:2).
In other contexts, chōrizō depicts distance in a relationship. Two people are no longer as close as they once were, regardless of their physical location.
- The apostle Paul used the word in his instructions about marriage, providing counsel for Christians who were wondering if they should leave their spouse through separation or divorce (1 Corinthians 7:10, 11, 15). Obviously, the word can describe a serious rbreakup.
- In contrast, we can have the assurance that nothing will ever distance us from God’s love for us.
- Who will separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:35).
- For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, not principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39).
Now back to the word that describes the split between Paul and Barnabas. This is an even stronger word, built by adding a preposition to the front of chorizo. Apo means “away from,” and it emphasizes the fact that these two men were moving away from each other.
The only other place in the New Testament where you can find this compound word is Revelation 6:14, where it describes one of God’s unbelievable judgments on the end-time world. Combined with a great earthquake and terrifying phenomena involving the sun, moon, and stars, “The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up.”
Clearly, the rift between Paul and Barnabas was a decisive breakup, one that must have been a painful experience for all involved. It resulted in the end of a partnership that had lasted for years. Even though both men continued in ministry and God used the split to produce ministry in two places rather than one, there must have been harsh words that they would later regret. It would take effort to rebuild that relationship: forgiveness and repentance.
Physical distance isn’t always bad. Deciding to work separately can be a strategic decision that enhances our impact for the Kingdom. But the anger and bitterness that accompanies relational separation is never part of God’s plan for us. Our goal is to live at peace with others as much as possible, displaying love and forgiveness – like our Lord.
Study Hint:
This week’s word reminds us how useful it can be to study words that come from the same root. The Greeks like to tweak the meaning of verbs by adding prepositions, and we can profitably compare the variations. Sometimes the extra syllable added at the beginning of a verb makes a big difference in the meaning; at other times it simply makes it more emphatic.
Coming Up
Palm Sunday is coming up in a few days, so we will use our next word study to look at one of the words that we especially hear on that special day.
Ezra Project 2025