Bible Gateway recently got creative with some of its internal data that shows which Bible verses users read the most in 2017 — and the results are certainly intriguing.
In all 50 states, the most popular verses were, in some order: John 3:16, Philippians 4:13 and Jeremiah 29:11.
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After ranking the top verse in each state, staff at the popular website figured out which Bible verse would have won the “electoral votes” in each state, thus exploring the electoral map to see which won out as the most popular “presidential” scripture in the nation.
It should be noted that John 3:16, which reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” is the most popular verse in all states aside from Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
So, for the purposes of the analysis, John 3:16 was taken out of the mix to see which verse in either Philippians or Jeremiah would triumph.
“The most-popular verses on Bible Gateway for 2017 divide the United States into two camps: states in which the most-popular verse (aside from John 3:16) is Jeremiah 29:11,” read a post on the Bible Gateway blog. “And states in which the most-popular verse is Philippians 4:13.”
For reference, Jeremiah 29:11 reads, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” and Philippians 4:13 reads, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
In the end, Bible Gateway found that Jeremiah 29:11 was the most popular verse outside of John 3:16 in 32 states, concluding that it would have walked away with 302 electoral votes. Read the entire breakdown here, as it’s pretty interesting.