Skip to content

Skip to table of contents

Wrong Practices

Wrong Practices

What wrong practices should Christians avoid?

Abusive speech

Mt 5:22; 1Co 6:9, 10; Eph 4:31

See also Ex 22:28; Ec 10:20; Jude 8

Accepting or offering bribes

Ex 23:8; Ps 26:9, 10; Pr 17:23

See also De 10:17; 16:19; Ps 15:1, 5

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • 1Sa 8:1-5​—Instead of following their father’s good example, the sons of the prophet Samuel accept bribes and pervert justice

    • Ne 6:10-13​—Shemaiah is hired by opposers to utter a false prophecy intended to scare Governor Nehemiah and slow down Jehovah’s work

Bragging

See “Bragging

Brazen conduct; uncleanness; immorality; adultery

See “Sexual Immorality

Competitions; rivalry

Ec 4:4; Ga 5:26

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • Mr 9:33-37; 10:35-45​—Jesus repeatedly corrects his apostles for their tendency to compete for positions of prominence

    • 3Jo 9, 10​—Diotrephes desires to have “the first place” among the brothers

Creating divisions; promoting a sect

Drunkenness; excessive drinking

Pr 20:1; 23:20, 29-35; 1Co 5:11; 6:9, 10

See also Eph 5:18; 1Ti 3:8; Tit 2:3; 1Pe 4:3

See also “Drinking

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • Ge 9:20-25​—Noah gets drunk, which creates an opportunity for Ham and his son Canaan to commit a serious sin

    • Da 5:1-6, 30​—Under the influence of wine, King Belshazzar insults Jehovah, bringing disaster on himself and his kingdom

Extortion

Ps 62:10; 1Co 5:10, 11; 6:9, 10

See also Pr 1:19; 15:27

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • Jer 22:11-17​—Jehovah condemns King Shallum (Jehoahaz) for extortion and other serious sins

    • Lu 19:2, 8​—Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, repents of his sin of extortion and promises to make reparations

    • Ac 24:26, 27​—The apostle Paul did not give Governor Felix the bribe that the governor was hoping for

Flattery

Job 32:21, 22; Ps 5:9; 12:2, 3; Pr 26:24-28; 29:5

See also Pr 28:23; 1Th 2:3-6

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • Lu 18:18, 19​—Jesus rejects a flattering title

    • Ac 12:21-23​—King Herod Agrippa accepts flattery implying that he is a god; he is struck dead for his sin

Gluttony

Harmful gossiping; being a busybody

Idolatry

See “Idolatry

Lying; proving false to agreements

See “Lying

Lying; slander

See “Lying

Misuse of blood

Ge 9:4; De 12:16, 23; Ac 15:28, 29

See also Le 3:17; 7:26

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • 1Sa 14:32-34​—The Israelites sin against Jehovah by eating meat without first bleeding it properly

Murder

Ex 20:13; Mt 15:19; 1Pe 4:15

See also Mt 5:21, 22; Mr 7:21

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • Ge 4:4-16​—Despite Jehovah’s loving counsel, Cain murders his righteous brother Abel

    • 1Ki 21:1-26; 2Ki 9:26​—Greed leads wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel to arrange for the murder of Naboth and his sons

Murmuring

1Co 10:10; Php 2:14; Jude 16

See also Nu 11:1

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • Nu 14:1-11, 26-30​—The Israelites murmur against Moses and Aaron, but Jehovah sees it as murmuring against Him

    • Joh 6:41-69​—The Jews murmur against Jesus; some of his disciples abandon him

Obscene talk or jesting

Pornography

See “Pornography

Quarreling

See “Quarreling

Ridiculing

Pr 19:29; 24:9

See also Pr 17:5; 22:10; 2Pe 3:3, 4

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • 2Ch 36:15-21​—God’s rebellious people pay dearly for ridiculing his messengers and mocking his prophets

    • Job 12:4; 17:2; 21:3; 34:7​—During his difficult trial, righteous Job suffers ridicule

Stealing

See “Stealing

Strife; violence

Ps 11:5; Pr 3:31; 29:22

See also 1Ti 3:2, 3; Tit 1:7

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • Ex 21:22-27​—The Mosaic Law exacts punishment from men who cause injury or death through physical violence

Threatening

Eph 6:9; 1Pe 2:23

See also Ps 10:4, 7; 73:3, 8

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • Ac 4:15-21​—The Sanhedrin threatens Jesus’ disciples in an attempt to stop the preaching work

Wild parties

Ro 13:13; Ga 5:19, 21; 1Pe 4:3

See also Pr 20:1; 1Co 10:31

  • Relevant Bible account(s):

    • Da 5:1-4, 30​—King Belshazzar’s “great feast” leads to excessive drinking and a catastrophic decision to blaspheme Jehovah