Romans 1:22-25

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 1:19-32

In this last part of the chapter the apostle applies what he had said particularly to the Gentile world, in which we may observe, I. The means and helps they had to come to the knowledge of God. Though they had not such a knowledge of his law as Jacob and Israel had (Ps. 147:20), yet among them he left not himself without witness (Acts 14:17): For that which may be known, etc., Rom. 1:19, 20. Observe, 1. What discoveries they had: That which may be known of God is manifest, en autois?among... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 1:18-23

1:18-23 For the wrath of God is being revealed from Heaven, directed against all impiousness and wickedness of men, who, in their wickedness, wilfully suppress the truth that is struggling in their hearts, for, that which can be known about God is clear within them, for God has made it clear to them, because, from the creation of the world, it has always been possible to understand the invisible things by the created things--I mean his invisible power and divinity--and things have been so... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 1:24-25

1:24-25 So then God abandoned them to uncleanness in their hearts' passionate desires for pleasure, desires which made them dishonour their bodies among themselves, for they are men who have exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and who worship and serve the creation more than they do the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. The word translated desires (epithumia, Greek #1939 ) is the key to this passage. Aristotle defined epithumia ( Greek #1939 ) as a reaching out after... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 1:22

Professing themselves to be wise ,.... The learned men among the Gentiles first called themselves σοφοι , "Sophi", wise men: and afterwards, to cover their wretched pride and vanity, φιλοσοφοι , "Philosophers", lovers of wisdom; but notwithstanding all their arrogance, their large pretensions to wisdom, and boast of it they became fools ; they appeared to be so; they showed themselves to be such in those very things they prided themselves with the knowledge of: as, for instance,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 1:24

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness ,.... Not by putting any into them, but by leaving them to the pollution of their nature; by withdrawing his providential restraints from them, and by giving them up to judicial hardness: through the lusts of their own hearts . The heart of man is the source of all wickedness; the lusts that dwell there are many, and these tend to uncleanness of one sort or another: by it here is meant particularly bodily uncleanness, since it is said they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 1:25

Who changed the truth of God into a lie ,.... Not the truth of the Gospel, which they were unacquainted with; but that which might be known of God as true, and was known of them by the light of nature; or the true God himself, whom they "changed into a lie"; by ascribing to false deities, which were lying vanities, those things which were known of God; and by worshipping them instead of him: for they worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator ; or "above him" or "against... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 1:22

Professing themselves to be wise - This is most strikingly true of all the ancient philosophers, whether Greeks or Romans, as their works, which remain, sufficiently testify. The word φασκοντες signifies not merely the professing but the assumption of the philosophic character. In this sense the word φασκειν is used by the best Greek writers. See Kypke. A dispassionate examination of the doctrine and lives of the most famed philosophers of antiquity, of every nation, will show that they... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 1:23

They changed the glory, etc. - The finest representation of their deities was in the human figure; and on such representative figures the sculptors spent all their skill; hence the Hercules of Farnese, the Venus of Medicis, and the Apollo of Belvidere. And when they had formed their gods according to the human shape, they endowed them with human passions; and as they clothed them with attributes of extraordinary strength, beauty, wisdom, etc., not having the true principles of morality, they... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 1:24

God - gave them up, etc. - They had filled up the measure of their iniquities, and God, by permitting them to plunge into all manner of irregularities, thus, by one species of sin, inflicted punishment on another. Dishonour their own bodies - Probably alluding here to what is more openly expressed, Romans 1:26 , Romans 1:27 . Between themselves - εν εαυτοις , Of themselves, of their own free accord; none inciting, none impelling. read more

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