diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/attribute_methods.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/attribute_methods.rb
index b6d5f2fe65f87d3ba1df50f8ae3e7f5426dd62d0..ebe06566cc01659b742684e30edcf277524115fa 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/attribute_methods.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/attribute_methods.rb
@@ -394,14 +394,6 @@ def accessed_fields
 
     protected
 
-      def arel_attributes_with_values_for_create(attribute_names) # :nodoc:
-        arel_attributes_with_values(attributes_for_create(attribute_names))
-      end
-
-      def arel_attributes_with_values_for_update(attribute_names) # :nodoc:
-        arel_attributes_with_values(attributes_for_update(attribute_names))
-      end
-
       def attribute_method?(attr_name) # :nodoc:
         # We check defined? because Syck calls respond_to? before actually calling initialize.
         defined?(@attributes) && @attributes.key?(attr_name)
@@ -409,6 +401,14 @@ def attribute_method?(attr_name) # :nodoc:
 
     private
 
+      def arel_attributes_with_values_for_create(attribute_names)
+        arel_attributes_with_values(attributes_for_create(attribute_names))
+      end
+
+      def arel_attributes_with_values_for_update(attribute_names)
+        arel_attributes_with_values(attributes_for_update(attribute_names))
+      end
+
       # Returns a Hash of the Arel::Attributes and attribute values that have been
       # typecasted for use in an Arel insert/update method.
       def arel_attributes_with_values(attribute_names)
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/reflection.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/reflection.rb
index a0016f0735f7af4d412ff5770adc1750a10d2818..72f1ac4896a961b9427ee1e48dd63d66c94f2529 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/reflection.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/reflection.rb
@@ -969,8 +969,7 @@ def collect_join_reflections(seed)
         end
       end
 
-      protected
-
+      private
         def actual_source_reflection # FIXME: this is a horrible name
           source_reflection.send(:actual_source_reflection)
         end
@@ -981,7 +980,6 @@ def primary_key(klass)
 
         def inverse_name; delegate_reflection.send(:inverse_name); end
 
-      private
         def derive_class_name
           # get the class_name of the belongs_to association of the through reflection
           options[:source_type] || source_reflection.class_name
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/delegation.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/delegation.rb
index 3c1dea8c6c171d336a4a764832ef84480607efc7..f965818ed2d1565809a778de3468f05eefd6bef3 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/delegation.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/delegation.rb
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ def respond_to_missing?(method, include_private = false)
         arel.respond_to?(method, include_private)
     end
 
-    protected
+    private
 
       def method_missing(method, *args, &block)
         if @klass.respond_to?(method)
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/migration_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/migration_test.rb
index 082cfd3242b2035af523b3097d1dcc7e71235136..1602b3f7577fdfe9e8be2c31c255f362ab77f6c5 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/migration_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/migration_test.rb
@@ -887,7 +887,7 @@ def test_changing_columns
       assert_equal :datetime, column(:birthdate).type
     end
 
-    protected
+    private
 
       def with_bulk_change_table
         # Reset columns/indexes cache as we're changing the table
diff --git a/activerecord/test/models/company.rb b/activerecord/test/models/company.rb
index 4561b3132bf688de228500a2251431ee3569ddaf..20e37710e7790a8b833033392d80946bea86e013 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/models/company.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/models/company.rb
@@ -216,14 +216,12 @@ def self.open
 
   validate :check_empty_credit_limit
 
-  protected
+  private
 
     def check_empty_credit_limit
       errors.add("credit_limit", :blank) if credit_limit.blank?
     end
 
-  private
-
     def private_method
       "Sir, yes sir!"
     end