Discovery BoxRomans 1:21-25 
Context1:21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts 1 were darkened. 1:22 Although they claimed 2 to be wise, they became fools 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings 3 or birds or four-footed animals 4 or reptiles.
1:24 Therefore God gave them over 5 in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor 6 their bodies among themselves. 7 1:25 They 8 exchanged the truth of God for a lie 9 and worshiped and served the creation 10 rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
Romans 1:28
Context1:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, 11 God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. 12
1 tn Grk “heart.”
2 tn The participle φάσκοντες (faskonte") is used concessively here.
3 tn Grk “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God in likeness of an image of corruptible man.” Here there is a wordplay on the Greek terms ἄφθαρτος (afqarto", “immortal, imperishable, incorruptible”) and φθαρτός (fqarto", “mortal, corruptible, subject to decay”).
4 sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 106:19-20.
5 sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 81:12.
6 tn The genitive articular infinitive τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι (tou atimazesqai, “to dishonor”) has been taken as (1) an infinitive of purpose; (2) an infinitive of result; or (3) an epexegetical (i.e., explanatory) infinitive, expanding the previous clause.
7 tn Grk “among them.”
8 tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
9 tn Grk “the lie.”
10 tn Or “creature, created things.”
11 tn Grk “and just as they did not approve to have God in knowledge.”
12 tn Grk “the things that are improper.”
