Romans 1:23
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Cross-references
In Romans 1:25, the same 'exchange' language is used: worshiping creation instead of the Creator — directly parallel to the idolatry described here.
In Romans 1:27, this same passage shows the consequence of the exchange: natural relations abandoned for unnatural ones, a direct result of the idolatry in 1:23.
In Deuteronomy 4:15-18, God forbids making images of any creature — the same categories (man, birds, animals, reptiles) that Paul lists for idolatry.
Revelation 9:20 condemns worship of handmade idols that cannot see or hear — directly matching the idolatry Paul describes in Romans 1:23.
Acts 17:29 also argues against idolatry — affirming God is not like an image made by human hands, echoing Romans 1:23's condemnation.
Ezekiel 8:10 shows idolatry with images of creeping things and beasts — exactly matching the 'birds, animals, reptiles' Paul mentions in Romans 1:23.
In Jeremiah 2:11, Israel exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols — the tragic exchange of glory for images that Paul echoes.
Isaiah 44:13 depicts a carpenter making an idol from wood — directly paralleling the image-worship Paul says replaces the glory of God.
Psalm 135:15-18 describes the futility of handmade idols — exactly the kind of image-worship Paul condemns here as exchanging God's glory.
In Psalm 115:8, idol makers become like their lifeless idols — Paul's 'fools' who exchanged God's glory suffer the same dehumanizing consequence.
In Psalm 106:20, Israel exchanged God's glory for an image of a bull — the same pattern of exchanging divine glory for animal images that Paul references.
In Deuteronomy 5:8, the second commandment prohibits making idols in any form — the very sin Paul identifies as exchanging God's glory for images.
In Jeremiah 10:14, idol-makers are described as senseless, contrasting the living God with worthless images—echoing Paul's theme of exchanging glory for idols.
In Habakkuk 2:18, the prophet mocks idols as lifeless and deceptive—directly reinforcing Paul's point about exchanging God's glory for mute images.
In Deuteronomy 4:17, Moses warns against making images of any animal—directly paralleling Paul's mention of birds, animals, and creeping things.
In Exodus 20:4, the second commandment explicitly forbids making carved images—the very practice Paul describes as exchanging God's glory for idols.
In 1 Timothy 1:17, Paul praises God as immortal and invisible — the very attributes of God that humans exchanged for images in this verse.
In Galatians 4:8, Paul recalls former slavery to beings that are not gods — a direct echo of exchanging the true God for false idols.
In 1 Peter 1:23, the contrast between perishable and imperishable seed mirrors the exchange of God's imperishable glory for perishable images.
Isaiah 40:26 directs attention to God as Creator of the stars — contrasting the exchange of God's glory for created things in Romans 1:23.
Isaiah 40:18 questions who can be compared to God — highlighting the absurdity of exchanging His glory for an image, as Paul describes.
1 Corinthians 12:2 reminds that pagans were led astray to mute idols — the same idolatry Paul describes in Romans 1:23 as exchanging God's glory.