Picture someone holding up a Bible and saying, "It's all in here! Everything you ever need to know about living your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ is given to you in this book."
Well, not exactly. The Scriptures give us God's revelation, and we believe that there will be no new revelation in terms of a change in what Jesus taught. On the other hand, there is a continual unfolding of the implications of what Jesus did and what Jesus said.
For one thing, there are new situations that every generation has to face - nuclear weapons, medical procedures, global economics, a radically different view of the universe.
Scripture gives us timeless truths, but the Bible is not a "how to" manual with detailed directions on how to live those truths.
We desperately need the gift of the Spirit that Jesus promised his disciples. We need to let the Spirit shape our understanding of those timeless truths as they are applied to the circumstances of our lives.
Which is to say, to be a disciple of the Lord, you need to pray.
- Little White Book, Diocese of Saginaw