Texts in Conversation
Romans describes humanity exchanging God’s glory for idols, describing idolatry as a universal human failure. 4 Ezra uses similar language to describe Uriel’s claim that all are accountable because they know what is right yet do not act on it.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Romans 1:23
New Testament
20 For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. 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 were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
Date: 55–58 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
4 Ezra 7:21
2 Esdras
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
20 Yes, let many perish who now live, rather than that the law of God which is set before them be despised. 21 For God strictly commanded those who came, even as they came, what they should do to live, and what they should observe to avoid punishment. 22 Nevertheless, they weren’t obedient to him, but spoke against him and imagined for themselves vain things. 23 They made cunning plans of wickedness, and said moreover of the Most High that he doesn’t exist, and they didn’t know his ways. 24 They despised his law and denied his covenants. They haven’t been faithful to his statutes, and haven’t performed his works.
Date: 70–132 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Paul’s argument about the culpability of all human beings resembles the universal claims made by the angel Uriel in 4 Ezra 7:21–23 ... Similarly, 2 Baruch condemns all humankind for failing to acknowledge God’s law: “Because every one of the inhabitants of the earth knew when he acted unjustly, but my Torah they did not know because of their pride” (48:40; compare 4 Ezra 7:72) ..."
Karina M. Hogan, “The Apocalyptic Eschatology of Romans,” in The Jewish Apocalyptic Tradition and the Shaping of New Testament Thought, ed. Loren T. Stuckenbruck (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2017), 155–174.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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