The Greek noun apodoche (G594) means acceptance, welcome, or approval — the favorable reception given to something or someone. It is derived from apodechomai (G588, to receive favorably/welcome). The word appears twice in the New Testament, both times in the Pastoral Epistles as Paul's formula 'pistos ho logos kai pases apodochés axios' — 'This is a trustworthy saying and worthy of full acceptance' (1 Timothy 1:15; 4:9).
Paul's formula 'worthy of full acceptance (apodoche)' is his stamp of theological authority — a signal to Timothy (and the church) that what follows is not opinion or speculation but settled, reliable truth deserving complete embrace. The first saying marked with apodoche is 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst' (1 Timothy 1:15). This is the core of the gospel: not primarily a teaching or a system, but a declaration about a person and His saving mission. It demands not just intellectual acknowledgment but full acceptance — a welcoming of Christ and His salvation with the whole person.