Hello guys, i had a heated debate with some friends on what does bribe mean and is it wrong to give or take it. I wish to bring it to this forum of elites in order to find reasons to believe that giving/taking bribe is wrong ( I am currently personally convinced even the Bible does not condemn the act)

Prov 17:8
"A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds". (NIV)

Prov 21:14
"A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath". (NIV)

My argument is that it is not a bribe that is wrong in itself, it is the purpose for which you give or take it that may be wrong. A bribe in its simplest definition can be seen as a gift or favour rendered in order to influence another.

When a hubby buys his wife gifts on his way from work in expectation of a superb night work-out...that is a bribe

When you go to eat at a restaurant and you leave your change with the waiter, that is a bribe to ensure you don't wait long before being served the next time you show-up

If you drop something regularly for the gateman and secretary of a major client in order to ensure prompt attention during your appointments, that is a bribe. But who says that is a bad practise, hear what the scripture says
Prov 18:16
"A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great". (NIV)

If you have a cherished relationship that is threatened, and you buy a precious gift for the other party...that is a bribe, but who says this is bad
Prov 21:14
"A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath." (NIV)


However the Bible clearly states that it is wrong to receive or take Bribe in order to do wrong or pervert justice
Ps 15:5
"who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken". (NIV)


Hence gentlemen and ladies what is your take about my reasoning, are there other scriptures i am not putting into consideration?



[b]Hello guys, i had a heated debate with some friends on what does bribe mean and is it wrong to give or take it. I wish to bring it to this forum of elites in order to find reasons to believe that giving/taking bribe is wrong ( I am currently personally convinced even the Bible does not condemn it)


Prov 17:8
"A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds". (NIV)

Prov 21:14
"A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath". (NIV)

My argument is that it is not a bribe that is wrong in itself, it is the purpose for which you give or take it that may be wrong. A bribe in its simplest definition can be seen as a gift or favour rendered in order to influence another.

When a hubby buys his wife gifts on his way from work in expectation of a superb night work-out...that is a bribe
When you go to eat at a restaurant and you leave your change with the waiter, that is a bribe to ensure you don't wait long before being served the next time you show-up
If you drop something regularly for the gateman and secretary of a major client in order to ensure prompt attention during your appointments, that is a bribe. But who says that is a bad practise, hear what the scripture says

Prov 18:16
"A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great". (NIV)





[/b]Hello guys, i had a heated debate with some friends on what does bribe mean and is it wrong to give or take it. I wish to bring it to this forum of elites in order to find reasons to believe that giving/taking bribe is wrong ( I am currently personally convinced even the Bible does not condemn it)


Prov 17:8
"A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds". (NIV)

Prov 21:14
"A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath". (NIV)

My argument is that it is not a bribe that is wrong in itself, it is the purpose for which you give or take it that may be wrong. A bribe in its simplest definition can be seen as a gift or favour rendered in order to influence another.

When a hubby buys his wife gifts on his way from work in expectation of a superb night work-out...that is a bribe
When you go to eat at a restaurant and you leave your change with the waiter, that is a bribe to ensure you don't wait long before being served the next time you show-up
If you drop something regularly for the gateman and secretary of a major client in order to ensure prompt attention during your appointments, that is a bribe. But who says that is a bad practise, hear what the scripture says

Prov 18:16
"A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great". (NIV)

Well the bible states unequivocally that we must not muzzle the Ox where it is threshing the corn, so It follows that where our civil servants are slaving away on our behalf we must allow them to chop whatever they need to chop in order to keep their strength up. That one is in the bible too.

Pastor AIO, i want to assume you are really a church pastor as your username suggest, you evaded the question asked using a weak analogy.
A BRIBE is a gift given to induce (either for good or bad), it is not something you grab by yourself. Hence you cannot compare bribe receiving with corruptly personally dipping your hands into public purse.

See this question as one sincerely asked and let us stay with the issue and bring out Bible verses to enlighten each other.

The question still remains then that 'Does the Bible say it is wrong to give/take bribe

Well conclusion ,there's good bribe and bad bribe. Finish .

Joagbaje:

Well conclusion ,there's good bribe and bad bribe. Finish .

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL please abeg what's the difference o?

A bribe is money or favour given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust.

If bribery would or can influence your judgment, conduct and decisions ,then there is no doubt ,it is bad.

In 1Sam8:3" And his sons( Samuel'sons ) walked not in his ways ,but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes and perverted judgment".

1Samuel 12:3 "Behold here I am ;witness against me b4 the Lord ,& b4 his anointed:whose ox have I taken ?or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed?or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith?

Job 15:34 " For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate , & fire shall consume the tabernacle of bribery."

Psalm 26:9-10" Gather not my soul with sinners,nor my life with bloody men:In whose hands is mischief ,& their right hand is full of bribes.
Isiah 33:15-16" He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly ;he that despiseth d gain of oppressions,that shaketh his hands from from holding bribe,that stoppeth his ears from hearing evil.........He shall dwell on high....
Amos 5:12"For I know your manifold trangressions and your mighty sins :they afflict d just ,they take bribe and turn aside the poor in gate from the right.

From the above passages of the bible,it shows clearly that taking or giving of bribe is wrong.
If it is wrong to take bribe because you the reciever sees it as bad,then it you give it to someone ,you have indirectly make the person to sin against God.
A spoilt food which you cannot eat should not be given to your enemies, talkless of your neighbour.

Prov17:8 Says a bribe is a charm. A charm is like a magic spell.A magic ,as we know,is d devil's way of performing miracles.He wants to copy God at all costs. As a charm,it would make the reciever to do the wrong thing he would not have done in his right mind.This veerse goes further to say "wherever he turns,he succeds".How can that be? Other bible passages condemned bribery, but saying that an it helps the giver to succeed in everything he does is contradictory to the above passages.

Quoting from King James.Prov.17:8 Says " A gift is as a precious stone in d eyes of him that hath it:whithersoever it turneth ,it prospereth.
The writer of Proverb might have meant or righty written "gift", but is wrongly quoted as "bribe" in NIV version.

Also in Prov 21:14.What king james used instead of bribe is a reward.

Even if the original word was "bribe",we should know from what Jesus said that ,if you want to give God a gift and you can remember that you have wronged someone,it is better to drop your gift and reconcile with d person.Matt 5:24.
So,if instead of making amendment ,you prefer to give a bribe ,then it is wrong in the sight of your God.

To give or receive bribe is wrong.