A preposition indicating separation, origin, or source — 'from,' 'away from,' 'since.' Apo is one of the most common Greek prepositions, appearing in hundreds of NT verses. It forms many compound verbs: apo-lysis (release), apo-kalypsis (uncovering), apo-stellō (send away).
Though a simple preposition, apo carries theological freight in key contexts. Salvation is rescue from sin, death, and wrath. Revelation is truth unveiled from God. The prefix apo- in compound words consistently conveys the idea of divine initiative reaching from heaven to earth, from hiddenness to disclosure, from bondage to freedom.