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``Where the
Bishop is, there let the multitude of believers be; |
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| The idea that
all revealed truth is to be found in "66 books" is not
only not in Scripture, it is contradicted by Scripture (1 Corinthians
11:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 1 Timothy 3:15, 2
Peter 1:20-21, 2 Peter 3:16). It is a concept unheard of in the Old
Testament, where the authority of those who sat on the Chair of Moses
(Matthew 23:2-3) existed. In addition to this, for 400 years, there was
no defined canon of "Sacred Scripture" aside from the Old Testament;
there was no "New Testament"; there was only Tradition
and non-canonical books and letters. Once Scripture was defined from
the many competing books, Bibles were hand-copied and decorated by
monks, were rare and precious, so precious they had to be chained down
in the churches so that they would not be stolen. Do you think that the
lack of printing presses affected the salvation of those who could not
peruse Scripture as we have the luxury of doing? And given the level of bickering back and forth about what Scripture means, do you believe that God expects each of us to be a scholar of Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Chaldean to understand His word and the message of salvation? No! This is why He, in His wisdom, started a Church with teaching authority through Peter, the earthly father of the New Covenant and whose successors sit on the Chair of Peter, just as Abraham was the earthly father of the Old Covenant and his successors sat on the Chair of Moses. Though we are not to "Judaize" because as Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, warned in the 1st century, " Christianity did not embrace Judaism, but Judaism Christianity," Christianity can only be fully grasped by understanding it for what it is: the Old Covenant growing into the New Covenant, the fulfillment of the Old Testament religion, the organic result of the coming of the expected Messiah Who was Himself from the Tribe of Judah. Tradition and earthly authority have always been an extremely important part of this:
From a Jewish website:
Now, the Old Covenant is fulfilled, and the authority of the Old Covenant priesthood has passed on to the New Covenant priesthood. The Pharisees after the Babylonian Captivity corrupted the Oral Tradition (and "sages" and rabbis later usurped the role of the priests); our Lord spoke against those "traditions of men" -- but He did not speak against the authority itself of thse who sat on Moses' seat; quite the opposite: Matthew 23:2-3 In the same way, post-Vatican II hierarchs have authority but are now behaving abominably and corrupting the Sacred Tradition of the Catholic Church -- those traditions we are commanded to keep:
Our Lord founded a Church (Matthew 16:18-19), not a book, which was to be the pillar and ground of Truth (1 Timothy 3:15). We can know what this Church teaches by looking not only at Sacred Scripture, but into History and by reading what the earliest Christians have written, what those who've sat on the Chair of Peter have spoken consistently with Scripture and Tradition, and what they've solemnly defined. To believe that the Bible is our only source of Christian Truth is unbiblical and illogical. As Cardinal Gibbons in "Faith of our Fathers" wrote:
Some Protestants like to use 2 Timothy 3:16-17 as a "proof-text" that Sola Scriptura is a Biblical principle:
No Catholic, of course, disagrees with these verses, or with any verses of Sacred Scripture. Of course Scripture is profitable! We Catholics see it as one of the three pillars of the very Church (the other two being Sacred Tradition and the Magisterim -- the teaching authority of the Church). But Protestants are obviously reading into this text what they want to see. Imagine you are a soldier. Now read this:
Would you take it to mean that the soldier, then, no longer needs a Drill Sergeant for training him, weaponry, ammunition, armor, communications equipment, etc.? Saying that X is profitable or necessary and that X helps one become thoroughly furnished for something doesn't say at all that Y is also not profitable or necessary and that Y helps one become thoroughly furnished for something. And how can Protestants square their reading of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 with Ephesians 4:11-12, which reads:
According to
these verses, what is needed for the perfecting of the saints are the
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers! How could this
possibly be if all we need is the "Bible alone"? And there are
also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be
written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not
contain the books that should be written. Amen.
By ignoring
Sacred Tradition, Protestants miss out on all those "many other things
which Jesus did" (just as they're missing out on the contents of the 7 books they removed from the Bible a
millenium and a half after Jesus walked the earth).
Relevant Scripture Nehemiah 8:7-8... and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. Malachi 2-7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. Matthew 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was SPOKEN by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. [Here, Matthew is quoting an oral Tradition that the Messiah will be called a Nazarene. This is NOT in the OT; it was only TRADITION] Matthew 23:2-3 [Jesus speaking] "The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice" [i.e., His problem with the Pharisees was not because of law, authority or tradition; His issue with them was with their hypocrisy, their putting the Law before Love, and the pre-Talmudic practices!] John 5:39-40 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. [NIV: You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.] John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. Acts 8:30-31 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 1 Corinthians 11:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, AS I DELIVERED THEM TO YOU. 1 Corinthians 4:14–15 I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the TRADITIONS which ye have been taught, whether by WORD, or our epistle. 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the TRADITION which he received of us. 1 Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the CHURCH of the living God, the PILLAR AND GROUND OF TRUTH. 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. [At the time this verse was written, the only "scripture" around was the Old Testament. Was Paul telling Timothy he needed nothing but the Old Testament? And in what way does "profitable" mean "sufficient"?] Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that NO PROPHECY OF THE SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his [Paul's] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, WHICH THEY THAT ARE UNLEARNED AND UNSTABLE WREST, as they do also the other scriptures, UNTO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION. 2 John 1:12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. 3 John 1:13-14 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee: But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.
Further Reading |
