The Greeks and Roman heathen boasted of their wisdom and held the rest of the world in contempt, but at the same time their idolatry showed their utter folly.

God gave them up - By withdrawing his restraining grace. Uncleanness - Ungodliness and uncleanness are frequently joined, #1Thes 4:5 as are the knowledge of God and purity|. Reptiles - Or creeping things as beetles, and various kinds of serpents.ġ:24 Wherefore - One punishment of sin is from the very nature of it, as #Rom 1:27| another, as here, is from vindictive justice. If a man will not worship God as God, he is so left to himself that he throws away his very manhood. The punishment in each case is expressed by God gave them up. 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 verses. What a terrible instance have we of this in the writings of Lucretius! What vain reasonings, and how dark a heart, amidst so pompous professions of wisdom!ġ:23 And changed - With the utmost folly. In their reasonings - Various, uncertain, foolish.

But became vain - Like the idols they worshipped. They did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful - They neither thanked him for his benefits, nor glorified him for his divine perfection. Being understood - They are seen by them, and them only, who use their understandingġ:21 Because, knowing God - For the wiser heathens did know that there was one supreme God yet from low and base considerations they conformed to the idolatry of the vulgar. 1:20 For those things of him which are invisible, are seen - By the eye of the mind. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Road of sin is wide