Leaders reflect on what YouVersion’s list of the most-shared Scriptures in their nation includes—and misses.
Below are Singapore’s top verses of 2023 as determined by YouVersion. With the help of Langham Partnership, Christianity Today asked three local Bible scholars for their analyses on what the list conveys about Christianity in the Southeast Asian city-state.
Samuel Law, dean of advanced studies and associate professor of intercultural studies, Singapore Bible College:
What is your overall reaction to this list?
No surprises. In general, the verses are reflective responses to the worldview and issues of our context and subscribe to the theological frameworks of the megachurches/denominations representative of Singapore.
What might the verses more unique to the list convey about Singapore’s spiritual needs?
I’m actually more surprised that Proverbs 3:5–6 is unique to Singapore and would have thought that it would be mentioned in the other countries. I remember a Sunday School song based on those verses that we used to sing as I was growing up in the US. Perhaps the verses are a favorite in Singapore as they parallel the Asian/Confucian attitude in life’s journey and align with a Daoist worldview.
Given the events of this past year, is there a verse you wish were on this list instead?
Isaiah 55. The chapter reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways and, despite circumstances, he is still at work. Despite our VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) 21st-century context, nothing impedes his power to transform situations in accordance to his mission of redeeming all creation.
Peter C. W. Ho, academic dean, School of Theology (English), Singapore Bible College:
What is your overall reaction to this list?
We are unsurprised but concerned! For instance, …
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