The Green Room

The Bible Alone (Authority, Part Two)

Sola scriptura is the belief in the Bible alone as authority. This is one of the two key tenets of Protestantism (the other being sola fide, “faith alone”). It’s something that I think most Protestants take completely for granted. Because very, very few of them realize that sola scriptura is actually unscriptural!

I know that I for one had no idea that nowhere in the Bible does it say that the Bible should be the only authority.

But it makes sense. After all, we know that not everything Jesus did is recorded in the Bible.


Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31

There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written. John 21:25


And while we can rest assured that the Bible is inspired and useful…


All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for ever good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17


… that doesn’t mean that’s all there is. The Bible neither states nor implies that Scripture alone is sufficient. Jesus left us with much more!

That’s where Divine Revelation comes in. Catholics believe that the Bible is part of the deposit of faith. There are two parts to this deposit: Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. You can’t have one without the other. Scripture should be interpreted in light of Tradition, and Tradition should be based on and not counter to Scripture.

As it turns out, there are plenty of Scripture references to the importance of oral tradition. It was a given that the Church would be based on both oral and written teachings, just as the Jewish people before them had done.


Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. 2 Thessalonians 2:15

And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well. 2 Timothy 2:2

(Paul commands to pass on oral tradition.)

I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you. 1 Corinthians 11:2

(Handed on both by letter and by mouth.)

I am writing you about these matters, although I hope to visit you soon. But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth. 1 Timothy 3: 14-15

(Written instruction is intended to supplement oral instruction.)

And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly, that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God, which is now at work in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13

(All about the oral teaching.)

Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the holy Spirit that dwells within us. 2 Timothy 1:13-14

(Again all about oral teaching.)


These passages make clear the importance of oral tradition. The Bible wasn’t created as a complete theological tract. The first Christians didn’t think they’d need one – they thought Jesus would be returning any minute! It wasn’t until they realized that his second coming might be awhile and that people might forget or distort his teachings that they felt the need to write any gospels. Then most of the New Testament letters were written to specific churches to address specific problems. These communities had already had the faith spelled out for them by Jesus’ disciples in person, so the letters didn’t have to repeat every belief in detail. Currie points out, “Simply because something was not chosen for inclusion in a book did not mean it was no longer true, or that it was not actively taught by the apostles in the first century. In fact, in the case of the epistles, the reverse would seem to be more plausible. Many of the most common and well-known practices and teachings of the early Church would be the least likely to be included in any of the writings of the early Church for the simple reason that they would be least likely to be misunderstood or called into question and thus require a written reinforcement or correction. This has been called the “occasional nature” of the New Testament."

The Christian Church existed and flourished for years before any of these New Testament books were written, and continued to do so before the Canon was made official. And at this point, we do well to recognize that at some point the sola scriptura advocate is in fact putting their faith in the Catholic Church. After all, the Catholic Church is the one that put together the Biblical Canon in the first place! With the aid of the Holy Spirit, the Council of Rome completed it in 382, and it was ratified at the Council of Hippo in 393 and the Council of Carthage in 397. If the Holy Spirit could guide the Church and lead her to inspiration in this matter, why can’t it lead her in other matters? Or even in all matters?

I could go on at much more length about Tradition ("big T" Traditions and "little t" Traditions, the difference between Dogma and Doctrine, and so on), but I think I’ll stop for breath here. I’ll conclude with an excerpt from the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, which explains the Catholic Church’s official position:


9. Hence there exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end. For Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity, so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known. Consequently it is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence. (6)

10. Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church. Holding fast to this deposit the entire holy people united with their shepherds remain always steadfast in the teaching of the Apostles, in the common life, in the breaking of the bread and in prayers (see Acts 2, 42, Greek text), so that holding to, practicing and professing the heritage of the faith, it becomes on the part of the bishops and faithful a single common effort. (7)

But the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, (8) has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church, (9) whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed.

It is clear, therefore, that sacred tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church, in accord with God's most wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others, and that all together and each in its own way under the action of the one Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls.


Scripture is authoritative, but not the only authority. Scripture and Tradition must go hand-in-hand.

Want to read more? You might start here:

Scripture and Tradition http://www.catholic.com/library/Scripture_and_Tradition.asp