Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Romans: Chapter 1]
vain} (\ematai•th•san\). Ingressive first aorist passive
indicative of \mataio•\ from \mataios\ (empty). Empty reasonings
as often today. {Became fools} (\em•ranth•san\). Ingressive first
aorist passive of \m•rain•\, to be a fool, old word from \m•ros\,
a fool. An oxymoron or sharp saying, true and one that cuts to
the bone. {For the likeness of an image} (\en homoi•mati
eikonos\). Both words, "a likeness which consists in an image or
copy" (Lightfoot). See Php 2:7 for "likeness of men" and Col
1:15 for "image of God." Paul shows indignant contempt for these
grotesque efforts to present pictures of a deity that had been
lost (Denney). Why is it that heathen images of gods in the form
of men and beasts are so horrible to look upon?
1:24 {Wherefore} (\dio\). Paul's inexorable logic. See it also in
verse 26 with the same verb and in verse 28 \kai\ like "and
so." {God gave them up} (\pared•ken autous ho theos\). First
aorist active indicative of \paradid•mi\, old and common verb to
hand over (beside, \para\) to one's power as in Mt 4:12. These
people had already wilfully deserted God who merely left them to
their own self-determination and self-destruction, part of the
price of man's moral freedom. Paul refers to this stage and state
of man in Ac 17:30 by "overlooked" (\huperid•n\). The
withdrawal of God's restraint sent men deeper down. Three times
Paul uses \pared•ken\ here (verses 24,26,28), not three stages
in the giving over, but a repetition of the same withdrawal. The
words sound to us like clods on the coffin as God leaves men to
work their own wicked will. {That their bodies should be
dishonoured} (\tou atimazesthai ta s•mata aut•n\). Contemplated
result expressed by \tou\ (genitive article) and the passive
infinitive \atimazesthai\ (from \atimos\, \a\ privative and
\timos\, dishonoured) with the accusative of general reference.
Christians had a new sense of dignity for the body (1Th 4:4; 1Co
6:13). Heathenism left its stamp on the bodies of men and women.
1:25 {Exchanged} (\met•llaxan\). First aorist active indicative
of \metallass•\, old word for exchanging trade, only here and
verse 26 in N.T. What a bargain they made, "the truth of God
for (\en\) the (\t•i\) lie." "The price of mythology" (Bengel).
{Worshipped} (\esebasth•san\). First aorist passive (used
transitively) of \sebazomai\, old verb, used in late Greek like
\sebomai\, to worship. {Rather than the Creator} (\para ton
ktisanta\). Placed side by side (\para\, the Creator and the
creature, \ktisis\) they preferred the creature. {Who is blessed
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