The Greek verb apostegazo means to unroof, to remove the roof covering, or to open up a roof. It combines apo- (away from) and stege (roof). It appears only once in the New Testament in the dramatic account of the paralyzed man lowered through the roof to Jesus.
Apostegazo marks one of the most vivid and theologically rich scenes in the Gospel of Mark. Unable to bring their paralyzed friend through the crowd to Jesus, four men 'dug through the roof [apestegasan]' and lowered him down. Jesus, seeing their faith, first pronounced forgiveness of sins — to the scandal of the scribes — then healed the man. This act of desperate, creative, obstacle-defeating faith is celebrated in Christian history as the model of intercessory faith. The rooftop removal is a permanent metaphor for what true faith does when conventional access to Jesus is blocked: it finds another way.