Though Paul lived under a dictatorship in the Roman Empire, he still provided advice on who Christians should vote for in today’s democratic elections.

There are many issues that can impact our voting decisions. A recent poll conducted by Pew Research determined that the top 5 major issues for Americans in the November Presidential election were in this order:

• The economy,
• Health care,
• Supreme Court appointments,
• Foreign policy/terrorism, and finally
• Violent crime.

For Christians, other issues have surfaced. I have seen articles on the moral character of both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and as well their respective stands on abortion.

And certainly, these are important, but none of these issues factored into what was important for the Apostle Paul.

Considering that the emperor at the time was Nero, who lived an extreme debauched life, surprisingly the moral character of the emperor was not a major concern.

With his primary concern being the growth of the Kingdom of God, in 1 Timothy 2, the Apostle Paul urges Christians to pray for their leaders. As part of this, Paul provided guidance on what to pray for, which in turn gives two key issues that believers can use in determining who to vote for on November 5, 2024.

First Paul writes, that we should pray (vote) so “that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life” (1 Timothy 2:2).

Paul is asking that we vote for leaders who will not persecute believers and their faith. This also includes providing protection from rogue operatives who want to persecute Christians.

In Jerusalem, authorities forbid the early church from preaching about Jesus and we are seeing similar examples today.

In Britain, believers were told to stop singing hymns on streets and fined for praying silently near an abortion clinic. In Australia, a student was ordered to remove a cross necklace because it was offensive. In the US, believers were told they could not attend church services in Nevada during the pandemic, while the government allowed casinos to stay open 24 hours a day.

The second thing Paul says is vote for those who allow believers to live a life “in all godliness and dignity.” This differs slightly from the first in that it refers to allowing Christians to live their life according to their values.

In Paul’s day, Roman emperors were considered a god and Christians were being pressured to compromise their faith by making sacrifices to the emperor. Similar today, Christians are facing increased pressure in the public square to compromise their beliefs.

For Paul, the biggest issue was freedom for Christians to express and live out their faith, which Paul writes is “good and acceptable in the sight of God.”

So when it comes to voting, what political parties and candidates offer the most freedom for believers?