Acheiropoiētos (ἀχειροποίητος) compounds a (not) + cheir (hand) + poiētos (made). It means "not made by human hands" — of divine or supernatural origin. It appears three times: Mark 14:58; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Colossians 2:11.
This word occurs at pivotal theological moments. Jesus promises to build a temple "not made by hands" (Mark 14:58) — His resurrected body and the new covenant community. Paul declares believers have a heavenly dwelling "not built by human hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Corinthians 5:1). In Colossians 2:11 the spiritual circumcision "not by human hands" refers to regeneration — the Spirit's inner transformation no ritual can produce. Across all three uses, acheiropoiētos marks the decisive difference between human religion (which works with hands) and divine redemption (which works from heaven).