John Piper’s article, “How to Live under an Unqualified President” (January 20, 2017) was sent to me this week by a friend here in New Zealand. He wanted to know my opinion about it. Here's what I wrote:
I have three thoughts. First, I think American believers should live basically in the same way under President Trump as they have lived under Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama. Whether Trump is “morally qualified” in Piper’s opinion really isn’t an issue at this point. He is the president, and we are to submit to his authority as we would any other governmental leader.
Second, under most conditions believers should vote for the political candidate that most represents, in policy, the biblical worldview. The person’s private moral character is a factor. But it takes a far second place to the candidate’s proposed policies. Clearly in 2016, the better choice for believers, in terms of policy, was Trump.
Third, all of the application Piper recommends in the second half of the article applies to believers under almost any governmental system and whether or not the governmental leader is morally qualified or not. It doesn’t really tie in specifically to Trump at all.
In sum, I don’t find the article helpful as far as it about Trump. The second half, which contains doctrine, is a good summary of how believers ought to relate to political government.