The Bible is written for those who believe it.
(HT: The Bible)
Explanation
One thing that is a peeve of mine is people who constantly ask, “Who is this passage written to?” This can be a fine question, but usually, the answers considered are nonsense. “Do you think this part was written to believers or unbelievers?” The answer is always believers. Moses wrote the Law to be read by the faithful. The prophets wrote their words to be read by the faithful. The gospels and the letters in the New Testament were written to the faithful. There are no books, no chapters, and no verses that were written to unreached peoples. If such letters or books or poetry was ever written, it is not found in the Bible.
If, by this question, you mean, who does this passage apply to, that is a better and more nuanced question. However, it too, can be answered in every case “for the faithful.” Either it’s to the faithful who are or to the faithful who will be. There’s no place in the Bible where advice is given to heathens or pagans or unbelievers or seekers who will not find. All of it is written to those who believe or will believe. The Bible has literally nothing of value to say to anyone else.
So, if you do not want to believe the Bible or hear the Bible, you can tell anyone reading it to you to go away. You don’t have to do anything the Bible says. You are free to live however you want. Since God rules the universe anyway, that doesn’t mean you can do so with impunity, but any Christian who tries to beat you over the head with a Bible verse should stop doing that. If someone asks you to stop talking about the Bible because they don’t want to hear it, you should stop. If you’re preaching in public, ask them politely to go somewhere else because you’re preaching for everyone, not just them. But in a private conversation, there’s no need to force the word of God on anyone who does not want to hear it.
If, however, you read your Bible and want to say, “Ah, well that verse doesn’t apply to me.” Think again. If you claim to be a believer, every verse applies to you. I don’t care if you aren’t a shepherd living in ancient Israel or not. I don’t care if you’re a member of the ancient nation of Israel or not. I don’t care if you’re a member of a local congregation or not. If you claim to be a believer that verse you’re reading cannot be dismissed, explained away, or told it does not matter to you. I don’t care if you’re a man reading a verse directed toward women or an unmarried woman reading a verse that only applies to married men. That verse is there for you to understand, to hold your fellow brothers and sisters accountable to, to be there when they are struggling, but more often are there for when you are struggling or to address you on a topic you aren’t interested in hearing about.
Christians don’t get to pick and choose what verses to listen to. The whole of the Word of God is there to teach us and bring us to a fuller understanding of God and of ourselves. However, much of it is hard to hear and few Christians indeed are there who will patiently have their favorite vices and bad choices knocked down.