Noted writer, apologist, and pastor John Piper has skirted the lines of political commentary throughout the years and a recent post on X sparked ire from conservatives. “‘You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God,’” wrote Piper, quoting Leviticus 19:34. “Christians know the miserable bondage we were all in.” Piper offered no further commentary or insight on the quote, but the verse is popular amongst progressive Christians as justifying illegal immigration and rejecting deportation. Furthermore, Piper is located in Minneapolis, a city that has been racked with anti-ICE protests. Piper himself has often been critical of President Donald Trump, calling him “morally unqualified” and encouraging Christians to abstain from voting from either Trump or Biden during the 2020 elections.

Conservatives pushed back on the verse, noting that immigrants still had a duty to obey national law. “Not every stranger who comes to your country is a Sojourner,” wrote The Daily Wire’s Megan Basham. “Some respect our system of laws and come to be a blessing to their host nation. To work hard and raise strong families. But some come illegally. And they do not come to work hard. Some come to live off the system, and to exploit the generosity of their host nation. Others come to engage in destructive practices that harm the citizens of the host nation. Biblical wisdom requires us to discern the difference.” Others pointed out that those who “sojourn” are supposed to be temporarily passing through, not staying as many illegal immigrants do.

Others defended Piper, suggesting that the pushback was overwrought. “Here’s the thing. If you look at his X account, it’s literally a single verse each day followed by one sentence takeaway,” wrote one user. “And he 100% doesn’t manage his own account. Though the points people are making re: immigration may be valid, this post is being blown way out of proportion.” “John Piper quoted the actual words of God Himself. And this is the reaction. He quoted the Holy word of God,” wrote Christian broadcaster Erick Erickson.

Allie Beth Stuckey offered her own assessment of the controversy. “Maybe we are all reading too much into Piper’s post, but for those who do use this passage to justify illegal immigration or to argue against deportations, keep this in mind: ‘There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.’ Exodus 12:49,” she wrote, while outlining the Biblical admonishments for sojourners to obey national laws. “Remember, nations and borders and governments and laws were God’s idea. He is a God of order who created structures and systems for our good and His glory.” Piper himself has not responded to the criticisms.