"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools," — Romans 1:22

Romans 1:22 · KJV

“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,”

— Romans 1:22

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified {him} not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Verse 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.

Romans 1 — Context

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, {even} his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: {so...: or, that they may be}

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified {him} not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

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.

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Cross References

1 Corinthians 1:19-21

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Proverbs 26:12

Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? {there is} more hope of a fool than of him.

Romans 11:25

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. {blindness: or, hardness}

Proverbs 25:14

Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift {is like} clouds and wind without rain. {of a...: Heb. in a gift of falsehood}

Jeremiah 8:8-9

How do ye say, We {are} wise, and the law of the LORD {is} with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he {it}; the pen of the scribes {is} in vain. {in vain made...: or, the false pen of the scribes worketh for falsehood}

1 Corinthians 3:18-19

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

Jeremiah 10:14

Every man is brutish in {his} knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image {is} falsehood, and {there is} no breath in them. {brutish in his knowledge: or, more brutish than to know}

Matthew 6:23

But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great {is} that darkness!