The Greek verb apotino means to pay back, to repay, or to make restitution. It combines apo- (away/back) and tino (to pay a penalty). The word carries legal connotations of settling a debt and appears in Paul's letter to Philemon in a remarkable statement of substitutionary payment.
Apotino appears in one of the most theologically loaded sentences in all of Paul's letters. In Philemon 18-19, Paul writes: 'If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back [apotiso].' This is Paul acting as a financial guarantor and surety for Onesimus, offering to take on his slave's debt. The parallel to Christ's substitutionary atonement is unmistakable — just as Paul stands in for Onesimus's debt, Christ stands in for humanity's debt to God's righteousness. The entire letter of Philemon is a living parable of the gospel.