Romans 1:23

23 When they couted them selves wyse they became foles and turned the glory of the immortall god vnto the similitude of the ymage of mortall man and of byrdes and foure foted beastes and of serpentes.

Romans 1:23 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 1:23

And changed the glory of the incorruptible God
God is incorruptible and immortal in his nature, and so is opposed to all corruptible creatures and things: he has a glory which is essential to him, and a manifestative one in the creatures, and which is relative, and of right belongs to him: his absolute essential glory cannot be changed, cannot be taken away from him, nor given to another; but his relative glory may be said to be changed, when another is worshipped in his stead, and called by his name. So Philo the Jew ^F7 speaks of

``some, who, leaving the true God, make to themselves false ones, and impose the name of the eternal and incorruptible upon created and corruptible beings.''

Into an image made like to corruptible man;
which was worshipped in different forms by the several nations of the world:

and to birds;
as the dove by the Samaritans, the hawk, the ibis, and others by the Egyptians:

and fourfooted beasts;
as the ox, and other creatures:

and creeping things;
such as beetles, serpents, and others, by the same.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 De Vita Mosis, l. 3. p. 678, 679.

Romans 1:23 In-Context

21 in as moche as when they knewe god they glorified him not as God nether were thakfull but wexed full of vanities in their imaginacions and their folisshe hertes were blynded.

23 When they couted them selves wyse they became foles and turned the glory of the immortall god vnto the similitude of the ymage of mortall man and of byrdes and foure foted beastes and of serpentes.

24 Wherfore god lykewyse gave the vp vnto their hertes lustes vnto vnclennes to defyle their awne boddyes bitwene them selves:

25 which tourned his truthe vnto a lye and worshipped and served the creatures more then ye maker which is blessed for ever. Ame.