Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
They changed the truth about God into a lie. They gave the name of the true God to these things, which are false gods. Ignoring what rocks and wood and other metals really are, they attriubuted to them something which does not belong to them. The truth of God is turned into a lie when a rock is called God. This fact drove out the God who is true, and since true and false shared a common name, it was easy for the true God to be regarded as false. This is what it means to change what is true into falsehood. For those things were not called rock or wood, but God. This is to worship the creature rather than the Creator, which is what they did. They did not deny God but worshiped a creature as God. In order to justify this, they gave these things the honor due to God, so that their worship rendered dishonor to God. For that reason he hastened to punish them, because although they knew God, they did not honor him “who is blessed for ever. Amen.” This is true! Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
For by worshiping and serving the creature rather than the Creator they have not wished to be a temple of the one true God. By wishing to have him along with many other things, they have been more successful in not having him at all than in having him along with many false gods.
Of this same thing to the Romans: "And they worshipped and served the creature, forsaking the Creator. Wherefore also God gave them up to ignominious passions."
Being the disciples of those mentioned, render such as assent to them worse than the heathen. For the former "serve the creature rather than the Creator"
Paul lists out in detail things which were a matter for utter scorn, but the more serious things he dealt with in general terms…. Look how strong his condemnation is, for he does not say merely that they served the creature but that they did so more than the Creator, thereby giving fresh force to the charge against them and removing any plea for mitigation. God is blessed for ever, for even if the heathen treated him insolently, he was not overwhelmed, nor was any harm done to his glory, for he remains forever blessed. It may happen that someone may become philosophical about the insults others heap upon him, yet he does not even feel them. How much less would the true God ignore them and not feel them? For God’s nature is imperishable and unalterable. His glory is neither changeable nor erratic.
Things which were matter for utter scorn, he puts down specially, but what seemed of a graver cast than the rest, in general terms; and by all he shows, that serving the creature is Grecian. And see how strong he makes his assertion, for he does not say, barely, they served the creature, but more than the Creator: thus everywhere giving fresh force to the charge, and, by the comparison, taking from them all ground of mitigation. Who is blessed forever. Amen. But by this, he means, He was not any whit injured. For Himself abides blessed for ever. Here he shows, that it was not in self-defence that He left them alone, inasmuch as He suffered nothing Himself. For even if these treated Him insolently, yet He was not insolently treated, neither was any scathe done to the bearings of His glory, but He abides continually blessed. For if it often happen, that man through philosophy would not feel the insults men offered him, much less would God, the imperishable and unalterable Nature, the unc...
Sun and moon are subject to change and variation, as is evident in an eclipse. This refutes the folly of those who worship the creature. Now, anything that is subject to change is not God, for by its very nature it is subject to corruption and change.
Happy, no doubt, is faith, if it is to obtain gifts which the enemies of God and Christ not only use, but even abuse, "worshipping the creature itself in opposition to the Creator!"
For the stars and the luminaries were given to men to shine upon them, but not for worship; although the Israelites, by the perverseness of their temper, "worshipped the creature instead of the Creator".
Incessantly, and with constant and loud voices, and let all the people say it with them: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord of hosts, heaven and earth are full of His glory: be Thou blessed for ever. Amen."
