The Follies of the Wise
Prof. Godet. Romans 1:22-23 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,… Futility of thought has reached the character of folly. What, in fact, is polytheism, except a sort of permanent hallucination, a collective delirium, a possession on a great scale? And this mental disorder rose to a kind of perfection among the very peoples who, more than others, laid claim to the glory of wisdom. When he says, "professing to be wise," Paul does not mean to stigmatise ancient philosophy absolutely; he only means that all that labour of the sages did not prevent, the most civilised nations — Egypt, Greece, and Rome — from being at the same time the most idolatrous of antiquity. The popular imagination, agreeably served by priests and poets, did not allow the efforts of the wise to dissipate this delirium. (Prof. Godet.) Parallel Verses KJV: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, WEB: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,