The Greek verb apokatallasso (G604) means to reconcile completely or to restore to full favor. The prefix apo intensifies the base verb katallasso (G2644, to reconcile), conveying a thorough, complete reconciliation. The word appears three times in the New Testament — all in Paul's Prison Epistles (Ephesians 2:16; Colossians 1:20,22) — and in each case refers to the cosmic reconciliation accomplished by Christ's cross.
Apokatallasso is one of the most powerful words in Paul's vocabulary for the atonement. In Colossians 1:20, God was pleased 'to reconcile to himself all things (apokatallaxai)... through his blood, shed on the cross.' The scope is cosmic: not just individuals but 'all things' — the entire created order alienated by sin — are the object of this reconciliation. In Ephesians 2:16, Jews and Gentiles who were hostile to each other and to God are apokatallasso-ed 'in one body through the cross.' The cross doesn't merely patch relationships — it completely restores them, creating a new humanity where there was only enmity.