Lexical Summary antimisthia: Recompense, reward, return Original Word: ἀντιμισθία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance recompense, rewardFrom a compound of anti and misthos; requital, correspondence -- recompense. see GREEK anti see GREEK misthos HELPS Word-studies 489 antimisthía (from 473 /antí, "matching, corresponding" and 3408 /misthós, "reward") – properly, proportionate reward; matching compensation (which can be pleasant or painful). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom antimisthos (as a reward) Definition a reward NASB Translation exchange (1), penalty (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 489: ἀντιμισθίαἀντιμισθία, ἀντιμισθιας, ἡ (ἀντίμισθος remunerating) a reward given in compensation, requital, recompense; a. in a good sense: 2 Corinthians 6:13 (τήν αὐτήν ἀντιμισθίαν πλατύνθητε καί ὑμεῖς, a concise expression for Be ye also enlarged i. e. enlarge your hearts, just as I have done (2 Corinthians 6:11), that so ye may recompense me — for τό αὐτό, ὁ ἐστιν ἀντιμισθία; cf. Winers Grammar, 530 (493), and § 66, 1 b.; (Buttmann, 190 (164); 396 (339))). b. in a bad sense: Romans 1:27. (Found besides only in Theophilus of Antioch; Clement of Alexandria; Clement of Rome, 2 Cor. 1, 3, 5 [ET]; 9, 7 [ET]; 11, 6 [ET]), and other church fathers.) The word translated “due penalty,” “recompense,” or “fair exchange” expresses the idea of something returned in kind—either negatively as a consequence or positively as a reciprocal response. Its nuance depends entirely on the moral character of the prior action: unrighteous acts reap a fitting penalty, whereas loving actions invite an equally fitting openness in return. Canonical Occurrences 1. Romans 1:27 Recompense and Divine Justice (Romans 1:27) In Romans 1, Paul traces humanity’s downward spiral after suppressing the truth of God. When he reaches same-sex conduct, he declares that the participants “received in themselves the due penalty for their error” (Romans 1:27). Here the term highlights three truths: Paul is not claiming mere social disapproval or external punishment; he teaches that moral disorder brings an internal, even bodily, disintegration that testifies to God’s fixed moral order. Reciprocity and Openhearted Fellowship (2 Corinthians 6:13) By contrast, when Paul pleads with the Corinthians, “As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also” (2 Corinthians 6:13), the same word calls for affectionate reciprocity. Paul has laid his heart bare (2 Corinthians 6:11); he seeks not material payment but relational fullness. The principle is rooted in covenantal love: grace shown should be grace returned (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:8; Philemon 17). Thus the term becomes a plea for mutuality, transparency, and enlarged capacity to love within the church. Biblical Theology of Due Return 1. Moral Cause-and-Effect: Scripture consistently affirms that sowing and reaping operate under God’s providence (Galatians 6:7-8; Proverbs 1:31). Romans 1:27 embodies this principle in the realm of sexual ethics. Old Testament Echoes Hebrew wisdom repeatedly warns that wickedness returns upon the head of the evildoer (Psalm 7:16; Proverbs 26:27). Conversely, kindness draws blessing (Proverbs 11:25). Paul’s vocabulary aligns with this dual pattern of retributive justice and relational reward rooted in the Law and the Prophets. Christ and the Recompense of Grace Christ bore the recompense our sins deserved (Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21). In Him, the negative “due penalty” has been absorbed, and the believer receives a positive “inheritance that can never perish” (1 Peter 1:4). The cross thus transforms the principle of recompense from condemnation to salvation for all who trust in Him (Romans 8:1). At the same time, Jesus’ self-giving love establishes the model for reciprocal love within His body (John 13:34). Pastoral and Discipleship Implications • Proclamation: Romans 1:27 warns societies that abandon God’s design, underscoring the need for repentance and the gospel’s power to redeem sexual brokenness (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Missional and Ethical Reflection Culture often denies moral cause-and-effect or reduces relationships to transactions. Scripture, through this single term, unites both realities under God’s sovereignty: sin inevitably damages, love inevitably invites return. Proclaiming and embodying that truth equips the church to confront rebellion with sobering clarity while nurturing communities marked by grace-filled reciprocity. Englishman's Concordance Romans 1:27 N-AFSGRK: καὶ τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν ἣν ἔδει NAS: the due penalty of their error. KJV: themselves that recompence of their INT: and the recompense which was fit 2 Corinthians 6:13 N-AFS |
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