Animals Beasts Birds Changed Corruptible Crawling Creatures Creeping Eternal Exchanged Form Fourfooted Four-footed Fowls Glory Image Images Immortal Imperishable Incorruptible Instead Likeness Mortal Perishable Quadrupeds Reptiles Resembling Traded Uncorruptible Worshipped Worshipping
1:23 And changed the glory of the {h} uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
(h) For the true God they substituted another.
1:23 Changed the glory of the incorruptible God. Turning from the glorious revelation of God in nature, they showed that they were fools by making an image, like man, or lower animals, and calling it a god.
An image made like to corruptible man. The Greeks made their gods like men. Many statues still exist that were taken from old Greek or Roman temples.
To birds. The Egyptians worshiped birds, quadrupeds, and reptiles.
1:23 And changed - With the utmost folly. Here are three degrees of ungodliness and of punishment: the first is described, Rom 1:21 - 24; the second, Rom 1:25 - 27; the third, in Rom 1:28, and following verse s. The punishment in each case is expressed by God gave them up. If a man will not worship God as God, he is so left to himself that he throws away his very manhood. Reptiles - Or creeping things; as beetles, and various kinds of serpents.
1:18-25 The apostle begins to show that all mankind need the salvation of the gospel, because none could obtain the favour of God, or escape his wrath by their own works. For no man can plead that he has fulfilled all his obligations to God and to his neighbour; nor can any truly say that he has fully acted up to the light afforded him. The sinfulness of man is described as ungodliness against the laws of the first table, and unrighteousness against those of the second. The cause of that sinfulness is holding the truth in unrighteousness. All, more or less, do what they know to be wrong, and omit what they know to be right, so that the plea of ignorance cannot be allowed from any. Our Creator's invisible power and Godhead are so clearly shown in the works he has made, that even idolaters and wicked Gentiles are left without excuse. They foolishly followed idolatry; and rational creatures changed the worship of the glorious Creator, for that of brutes, reptiles, and senseless images. They wandered from God, till all traces of true religion must have been lost, had not the revelation of the gospel prevented it. For whatever may be pretended, as to the sufficiency of man's reason to discover Divine truth and moral obligation, or to govern the practice aright, facts cannot be denied. And these plainly show that men have dishonoured God by the most absurd idolatries and superstitions; and have degraded themselves by the vilest affections and most abominable deeds.
Animals Beasts Birds Changed Corruptible Crawling Creatures Creeping Eternal Fourfooted Four-Footed Fowls Glory Image Images Immortal Imperishable Incorruptible Instead Likeness Mortal Perishable Quadrupeds Reptiles Resembling Traded Worshipped Worshipping
Animals Beasts Birds Changed Corruptible Crawling Creatures Creeping Eternal Fourfooted Four-Footed Fowls Glory Image Images Immortal Imperishable Incorruptible Instead Likeness Mortal Perishable Quadrupeds Reptiles Resembling Traded Worshipped Worshipping
