The Greek noun aphixis means departure or arrival — the completion of travel, the leaving of one place or the reaching of another. Interestingly, in classical Greek it can mean either arrival or departure depending on context. In the New Testament it is a hapax legomenon, appearing only in Acts 20:29, where Paul uses it to refer to his departure from Ephesus.
Acts 20:29-30: 'I know that after I leave (aphixin), savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.' Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders is charged with urgency — his departure creates vulnerability. The theological principle: faithful leaders must prepare the flock for their absence. Paul's pattern of training elders, establishing churches, and departing was always strategic. The shepherd leaves, but the flock must learn to recognize false voices.