The Bible is full of great stories and interesting people who can teach us important life lessons today.
However, just because someone is in the Bible doesn’t mean that they are a positive role model. In fact, many of the Bible’s most notable characters teach us what not to do if we ever find ourselves in a similar situation.
If you’re looking for humorous stories, juicy drama, and poor life choices that will leave you shaking your head, you’ll find them all right here.
1. The Apostle Paul
According to the apostle Paul, he was the most sinful person in the Bible. However, most Christians would disagree.
He writes in 1 Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”
Formerly named Saul, he did travel and persecute the early Church. On the other hand, he later went on to become one of the greatest (if not the greatest) traveling missionaries of all time, helping spread the gospel message far and wide.
He also wrote a huge portion of the New Testament — Scriptures that still dramatically impact Christians to this day.
2. Pharoah
Recently, CarolinaPanthers2 asked this same question on a popular social media platform: “Who’s the most sinful human in the Bible?”
One commenter shared, “Narratively, it has to be Pharaoh. No one else has that much content about their wrongdoings.”
The beginning of the biblical book of Exodus shares how Pharaoh gave order to throw all baby boys into the river, nearly ending Moses before he was a toddler. Later, Pharaoh chose to force his people to endure 10 epic plagues, rather than let the Hebrew people leave and worship their God.
3. King Herod
Unfortunately, not everyone learned from Pharaoh’s mistakes.
In the New Testament, King Herod gave similar orders to “get rid of” all the infants and toddlers in Bethlehem, lest one become the new king in his place. You can read his orders in Matthew 2:16.
Thankfully, Jesus’s parents are able to escape in the night, sparing his life and fulfilling several Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah.
4. King Jeroboam
As the first king of the Northern kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam had a sacred duty to serve the Lord and lead God’s people to do the same.
According to GotQuestions.org, “Jeroboam had been promised great blessings and a continuing dynasty if he would follow the Lord (1 Kings 11:38). However, Jeroboam did not obey the Lord. Instead, he had two golden calves made for the people to worship in the northern kingdom and made priests and celebrations for them.”
In 1 Kings 14:9, we read God’s words to Jeroboam: “You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.”
5. King Manasseh
Another Israelite king, Manasseh, also led his country away from the Lord and into severe idol worship.
We read these words in 2 Kings 21:11: “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols.”
6. Eve
Of course, it’s easy to argue that none of these horrible misdeeds would have taken place if it hadn’t been for the original sinner, Eve.
One commenter shared, “She had one command, don’t eat from 1 tree… and then violated it. Batting 1000.”
Sometimes all it takes is one really bad choice to cause a world of hurt — both for yourself and others.
7. Adam
Similarly, others place blame on her counterpart, Adam. While Eve was the first to eat the forbidden fruit, the Bible often lists Adam as the one who brought sin into the rest of the world by listening to his wife’s poor advice.
Romans 5:12 tells us, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.”
One commenter shared, “If only he had just been smart and obeyed his Heavenly Father. Eve was right there with him too. Imagine what the earth would be like right now.”
8. The Pharisees
The Pharisees in the New Testament are one religious group that has gotten a terrible reputation. While they believed themselves to be the most holy and devout of all, Jesus saved his harshest words for this band of hypocrites who completely missed the point.
In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus has this to say: ““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones… and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
9. The Pre-Flood Human Beings
Of course, it’s hard to imagine anyone could have been worse than the earliest humans who populated the Earth before the flood.
Rather than try to redeem them, God decided they were a lost cause and it’d be easier to simply start over!
Genesis 6:5-6 tells us, “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.”
10. The Antichrist
Looking toward the future, no one likely ever has been or ever will be as sinful as the coming Antichrist.
Also known as the “Man of Lawlessness,” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 tells us: “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
No one knows who this will be or when this will happen, but I, for one, am not in a hurry to find out!
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Brittany Ann is an ECPA bestselling author and founder of Equipping Godly Women and Monetize My Ministry. She’s also a Christian speaker, podcaster, and conference host. Her work has been featured on numerous TV, radio, and online ministries, including CBN, MSN, Christianity Today, Evangelical Alliance, Patheos, Crosswalk, and more.
