Crime

An offence against the established laws of society including murder, adultery, theft, perjury and treason. Scripture contains both warnings and teaching to help young people avoid a life of crime.

Crime in Israel

Deuteronomy 6:1–2 Crime in Israel was the breaking of laws given by God.

These are the commandments and statutes and ordinances that the LORD your God has instructed me to teach you to follow in the land that you are about to enter and possess, so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged.

Examples of crimes covered by Israel's laws

See also Exodus 20:13 murder; Exodus 20:14 adultery; Exodus 20:15 theft; Exodus 20:16 perjuryJoshua 1:16–18; 2 Samuel 15:7–10; 1 Kings 16:15–18; 2 Kings 11:1–3 parallel 2 Chronicles 22:10–12

Examples of crime in the NT

Murder

Matthew 2:16; Acts 7:58

Adultery

John 8:3–4; 1 Corinthians 5:1

Theft

John 12:6

Perjury

Matthew 26:59–60 parallel Mark 14:55–56; Acts 6:13, Acts 25:7

Scripture warns young people that temptation may lead to crime

Violence

Proverbs 1:10–19

Sexual immorality

Proverbs 5:1–23, Proverbs 6:20–29, Proverbs 7:6–27

Scripture teaches parents to discipline their children

Proverbs 13:24, Proverbs 19:18, Proverbs 22:6, Proverbs 22:15, Proverbs 23:13