Greek word · G4234

πρᾶξις

praxis

action

Action, activity. A way of acting, conduct, a course of life. In the plural, deeds or practices (Acts 19:18; Col 3:9). Rare in the New Testament (6 times).

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

πρᾶξις, -εως, ἡ

(πράσσω), [in LXX: 2 Chronicles 13:22 27:7 28:26 (דֶּרֶךְ), Job 24:5 A (פֹּעַל), Proverbs 13:13, Wisdom of Solomon 9:11, al. ;]

1. a doing, deed, act: Matthew 16:27; pl., π. ἀποσπτόλων, Ac, title; in late writers especially of wicked deeds or practices (frequently in Polyb.): Luke 23:51; p1., Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:9; with ref. to magic (see BS, 3235), Acts 19:18.

2. an acting, action, business, function: Romans 12:4.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Matthew 16:27

Range of meaning: Action, activity. A way of acting, conduct, a course of life. In the plural, deeds or practices (Acts 19:18; Col 3:9). Rare in the New Testament (6 times).
Against the English: BSB 'what he has done', WEB/NASB 'deeds' and KJV 'works' turn it into a plural list of acts. The Greek is singular: one's overall conduct. YLT's 'work' (singular) is closer.
Used elsewhere in the period: Common in Greek writers for a person's conduct or way of life. Matthew departs from the Psalm's 'works' (ἔργα), and some copyists changed it back to 'works' (see variants).

From the study of Colossians 3:9

Range of meaning: An action, deed, way of acting, practice, or function. In the plural, habitual doings or conduct. It sometimes has a negative tone ('doings', 'schemes'), as in Luke 23:51 and Rom 8:13, 'the deeds of the body'.
Against the English: 'Deeds' (KJV), 'doings' (WEB) and 'practices' (BSB, YLT, ESV, NIV) are all fair. NASB adds 'evil' and NLT 'wicked'. The context supports the negative tone, but the Greek itself is neutral; the badness comes from whose practices they are.
Used elsewhere in the period: Common in Greek of all periods for actions and conduct. In magical papyri πρᾶξις can mean a magical procedure or spell, and some scholars read Acts 19:18 that way. Nothing in Col 3:9 requires that specialised sense; here it means the general conduct of the old self.

From the study of Acts 19:18

Range of meaning: Action, activity, deed; way of acting, practice, conduct (Matt 16:27; Rom 8:13; Col 3:9, "the old self with its practices"). In the Greek magical papyri it is also a technical word for a magical procedure, recipe or spell, often as a heading such as "πρᾶξις for…" before instructions.
Against the English: "Deeds" (KJV, BSB, WEB) makes it sound like moral misdeeds in general. "Practices" (ESV, NASB) is closer and can carry the technical sense. NIV's "what they had done" is more general still.
How it drifted: The technical magical sense was lost on English readers who did not know the papyri. Deissmann drew attention to it in the early 20th century, and BDAG now records it.
Used elsewhere in the period: The Greek Magical Papyri (PGM, mostly 2nd century BC to 5th century AD, from Egypt) repeatedly use πρᾶξις for individual spells (e.g. PGM IV). Adolf Deissmann (Bible Studies) noted the link to Acts 19:18. BDAG s.v. πρᾶξις lists the magical sense and mentions this verse. Clinton Arnold and Paul Trebilco develop the point for Ephesus.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

Matthew 16:27 πρᾶξιν deeds

For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.

Here: Singular: a person's 'conduct' or 'way of acting' as a whole. It looks at the pattern of a life, not a tally of separate deeds. In context that pattern means either clinging to your life or losing it for Jesus' sake.

Luke · 1

Luke 23:51 πράξει deed

who had not consented to their decision or action. He was from the Judean town of Arimathea and was waiting for the kingdom of God.

Acts · 1

Acts 19:18 πράξεις deeds

Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds.

Here: In ordinary Greek this means deeds or practices. In the magical texts of the period it was also a standard word for a magical procedure or spell. Coming between the Sceva incident and the burning of magic books, it very likely carries that sense here: "their spells".

Romans · 2

Romans 8:13 πράξεις deeds

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Here: Doings or practices. In the plural it often has a bad sense, 'schemes, practices' (compare Col 3:9; Acts 19:18). The target is patterns of action, not the body itself.
Romans 12:4 πρᾶξιν, function,

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function,

Here: What a part actually does: its working, its job. It looks ahead to the list of different gifts in verses 6 to 8 (prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, showing mercy).

Colossians · 1

Colossians 3:9 πράξεσιν practices

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,

Here: Plural: habitual actions, the characteristic way of acting. In context it points back to the vice lists (sexual immorality, greed, anger, slander, filthy talk) and, right here, lying.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.