Paul uses this verb in Romans 1:25 to describe humanity's fundamental idolatry: worshiping and serving the creature rather than the Creator. The word carries connotations of both reverence and religious service, combining inner devotion with outward acts. In classical Greek it could mean simply 'to fear' or 'respect,' but by the Hellenistic period it had acquired strong religious overtones. The aorist tense marks a definitive act of misplaced worship.