The Greek noun antimisthia means recompense, exchange, or due payment in return. Appearing only twice in the New Testament (Romans 1:27; 2 Corinthians 6:13), it describes both the negative consequences of sinful exchange and the positive call to reciprocal love.
Antimisthia is compounded from anti (in return) + misthos (wage, reward, payment). In Romans 1:27, Paul uses it for the 'due penalty' received by those who exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones — the word captures the moral logic of divine judgment: those who exchange God's design receive a corresponding exchange of consequences. In 2 Corinthians 6:13, the same word pivots dramatically to affection: 'As a fair exchange — I speak as to my children — open wide your hearts also.' Paul appeals to the Corinthians to match his love for them with equal love in return — a positive antimisthia of relationship. Together, these two uses reveal the principle of moral and relational exchange that runs through the moral universe: actions have corresponding consequences, and love invites love in return.