One of the last times I read through the new testament, I kept track of all of the passages that outline positive and negative behaviors, vice lists and virtue lists*. There were more of both of them than I expected.

I then charted all of them, listing the vices and virtues – and I would like to present a summary of them here – vices first (I’ll show the virtues in another post – you know, end with the more positive).

There are 19 passages and 159 total items in this list, but (since many of them are repeated, there are 83 unique items on the list.

34 of those unique items appear on more than one list and 49 of them only appear once.

What vice do you think is on the most lists? It’s not a big surprise – Sexual Immorality. It’s on ten of the lists, so more than half. And this isn’t the only one having to do with sexual sin.

The rest of this post has two parts:

  1. The context of each of the posts, which the authors say is true about all of the listed vices.
  2. The full list of all of the vices and how often they appear.

I hope you find it helpful and interesting and motivating.

1. Vice List Context Passages – What You Should Know About These Sins

For out of the heart come … But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

What comes out of a person is what defiles him… All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done….

… Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in … But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the … will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be … I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: … I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

… has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: … On account of these the wrath of God is coming. … seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for …

… imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

This is not the wisdom that comes down from above…

… the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do

… they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

… their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

2. Full Vice List

Here are a few things to note:

  • I put all of the full passages – lists with context, in the post right before this one.
  • I used my own discretion when combining, but I didn’t do that too often
  • I’m using ESV
  • With most of these passages, I’m always surprised to see the dark and horrible sins mixed with the more acceptable sins.
  • Entries that are in both of the gospel passages (Matthew 15:19 and Mark 21-23) I only counted as one. They are fairly similar lists.
  • I’ll do the Virtue list summary soon.

Here’s the list of all the vices on all the lists.

Sexually immoral – 10
idolaters – 7
slanderers – 7
anger (fits of anger)(quick tempered) – 5
drunkards – 5
envy – 5
malice – 5
murder/murderers – 5
deceit (lying) – 4
impure – 4
jealousy – 4
Sensual (sensuality) – 4
Conceit – 3
covetousness – 3
evil (desires)(thoughts) – 3
foolish (talk) – 3
liars – 3
orgies – 3
passion – 3
quarrelling – 3
sorcery/sorcerers – 3
wrath – 3
adulterers – 2
boastful – 2
disobedient – 2
disorder – 2
dissensions – 2
faithless – 2
gossips – 2
greedy – 2
homosexuality practicers – 2
lawless – 2
strife – 2
thieves – 2
ambition (selfish) – 1
Bitterness – 1
Clamor – 1
Controversy (unhealthy craving for) – 1
cowardly – 1
crude joking – 1
demonic – 1
depraved in mind – 1
deprived of the truth – 1
detestable – 1
disobedient to parents – 1
divisions – 1
dogs – 1
enmity – 1
empty talkers – 1
enslavers – 1
evil suspicions – 1
filthiness – 1
friction (constant) – 1
hated by others – 1
haters of God – 1
hating one another – 1
haughty – 1
heartless – 1
hostility – 1
hypocrisy – 1
insolent – 1
insubordinate – 1
inventors of evil – 1
led astray – 1
maliciousness – 1
obscene talk – 1
perjurers – 1
practice contrary to sound doctrine – 1
practices falsehood – 1
pride – 1
profane – 1
revilers – 1
rivalries – 1
ruthless – 1
sinners – 1
strike their parents – 1
swindlers – 1
ungodly – 1
unholy – 1
unrighteousness – 1
unspiritual – 1
violent – 1
wickedness – 1

In case you’re curious, here is a list of other posts on my blogs which show a whole category of items from the Bible (Biblical Surveys).

*Yes, that’s a chiasm

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