Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Romans 1:23

"and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." — Romans 1:23 (ASV)

Despite the knowledge of God conveyed to them through the creation, people failed to act on it. They “neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him” (two obligations embracing one’s entire duty toward God). Those who refuse to let God have the place of preeminence that is rightfully his will put something or someone else in God’s place.

“Their thinking became futile.” This phrase suggests that mythology and idolatry grew out of an insistent need by people to recognize some power in the universe greater than themselves, coupled with their refusal to give God the place of supremacy. It is highly suggestive that the verb “to become futile” yields a noun form that was used for idols (Acts 14:15). Idols are unreal and unprofitable, and their service can only lead to futility and further estrangement from the true and living God (cf. Daniel 5:23).

This abandonment of God in favor of inferior objects of worship is traced in a descending scale. “Mortal man” is the first substitution; the Creator is forsaken in preference for the being created in his image. Scripture shows us such deification of humankind in the case of Nebuchadnezzar (3:1). In Paul’s day the cult of Caesar had spread throughout the empire. In modern times the western world has outgrown crass idolatry, but humanism has subtly injected the worship of humanity without the physical trappings. God is quietly ruled out and the human spirit is placed on the throne.

The next stage is worship of the animal kingdom. Paul alludes to Ps 106:19– 20 here, using a text that refers to Israel’s sin in making the golden calf at Horeb and bowing down to this molten image. Although Paul is dealing with a characteristic sin of paganism, he resorts to OT history for an illustration. God did not and could not condone idolatry in the people he had chosen. His judgment fell heavily when there was no repentance, eventually deporting them from the land he had given them.