Is Catholic Tradition Equal To The Bible?

In receiving lots of e-mails from Catholics I get a pulse on the latest misinformation they are receiving from their apologists. The issue of oral tradition is one such error. Catholics are being told that the early church passed things down orally that are not in our Bible--so we gotta listen to the Catholic religion.

In typical style they are given some Bible verses to tenuously support this false doctrine. Well, we are going to bring it all out in the open. The light of the word maketh manifest, you know. We are going to examine the following:

Does the Bible support Catholic tradition?

Is the "Sin of Presumption" supported by the Bible?

Did Jesus appoint a multi-billion dollar organization to be boss?

Did the Catholic religion give me the scriptures?

Is the Bible enough for me to know God and His will?

Can tradition and the Bible both be true?


Why does the Catholic Religion emphasize tradition so much?

I'll answer that with another question: How could they support its heretical doctrines using the scripture as the sole rule of authority?

  • Mary worship? In the Bible you can only find how God hates the Queen of Heaven.
  • The eucharist? In the Bible you can only find how God said don't drink blood.
  • Purgatory? The word and concept are not in the Bible.
  • Co-redemptrix? In the Bible you find there is only ONE Redeemer and Saviour. His name is Jesus.

Take practically any Catholic practice and it will fit in here.


What is Catholic tradition supposed to mean anyway?

I'll let one of our Catholic readers explain:

"I hope you understand was is meant by Tradition, it is not "tradition" with a small "t". It is Sacred "Tradition", with a capital "T" meaning the oral teachings of Christ and the apostles..."

Oh, so there is a whole bunch of stuff I CAN'T know from the Bible because it was only given orally and the Catholic religion has somehow been able to get this spoken word from somewhere and tell me what it was. I see and I reject this nonsense. First let's see what Jesus says about man's tradition (I love the word of God, it just illuminates everything).


What does Jesus say about Tradition?

"Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? [Y]e made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites."

--Jesus Christ
    Matthew 15:3, 6, 7


What else does Jesus say about Tradition?

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked [Jesus], why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is WRITTEN [Jesus is quoting the Bible], This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men...

And he said unto them, Full well YE REJECT THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD, THAT YE MAY KEEP YOUR OWN TRADITION.

Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Mark 7:5-9, 13

THIS is the Scripture passage that Catholics desperately need to read! But alas, instead they listen to their apologists and try to support their man-made traditions with the Book they once burned and outlawed!


Does the Bible support Catholic tradition like they say it does?

Now, they have the nerve to go to THE BIBLE for proof of their tradition. What scriptures do they give as biblical proof of Catholic Tradition? Let's look at some of them...

 

1 Corinthians 15:3, 11 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

Where does it say, "Listen to Catholic Tradition?" Relevance please? Where does it say this was passed down by oral tradition?
2 Tim 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. Where does it say, "Listen to Catholic Tradition?" Relevance please? Where does it say this is oral tradition?
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. Relevance please? This does not commend us to the Traditions of the Catholic religion. Where does it say this is oral tradition?
 

The Catholic "Sin of Presumption" says it is a sin to say that you have eternal life. They say that you simply can't know for sure. But what does the Bible say?

 

These things have I WRITTEN unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; THAT YE MAY KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:13

The Catholic religion calls the Bible a lie. The "Sin of Presumption" tradition says that it is a sin to say that you know FOR SURE that you are going to heaven--but didn't we just read a Bible verse GURANTEEING HEAVEN to the believer?


More verses that the Catholic religion uses to support their heretical traditions.

 

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. Where does it say, "Listen to Catholic Tradition?" Relevance please?
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. Where does it say, "Listen to Catholic Tradition?" Relevance please?
2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Where does it say, "Listen to Catholic Tradition?" Relevance please? Paul is instructing people who heard him and his fellowlaborers.
 

Did Jesus say some big multi-BILLION dollar organization would lord over the believer?

Negative, my friend. The pope has got the nerve to claim that he not only has spiritual control over the whole world but that he has temporal sovereignty--that means he is over top of everybody--the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of England--he is everybody's boss! "You gotta do this, you can't that, you can't interpret that, you gotta pay money to get her out of purgatory, you gotta listen to me, me, me!" Catholics scream, "The pope gotta tell us what God wants! We can't know it for ourselves, we're too blind! We need an earthly vicar of Christ to tell us what to believe."

But what did the meek Jesus say? Jesus said that true believers would never lord over other believers. He didn't just say it one time in the scriptures either--He said it three times:

  1. Matthew 20:25-26 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise AUTHORITY upon them. But IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister
  2. Mark 10:42-43 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise AUTHORITY upon them. BUT SO SHALL IT NOT BE AMONG YOU: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
  3. Luke 22:25-26 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise AUTHORITY upon them are called benefactors [or maybe, Mother Church?]. BUT YE SHALL NOT BE SO: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

Do Catholics even care about Jesus? He's been left out of the equation. They've replaced Him with "His (un)Holiness, the pope." Lord have mercy, Jesus.


If the pope was a man of God, what would he do?

Instead of bossing everybody around and telling them how to disobey the scriptures, he'd agree with Paul by saying...

2 Corinthians 1:24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Hallelujah and thank you Jesus for laying it all out in your word! You are the Word (John 1:1)! Jesus never sanctioned the organization of the Catholic religion, in fact He hates it.


True believers have ALWAYS had the Scriptures

One Catholic reader said this...

"...You must admit that before the Bible was compiled as it is now, much of it was passed to people by word of mouth."

I must admit no such thing. The written word of God, the scriptures, have always been available to true believers. Not only that, the written word has always been operative in God's dealing with mankind. The Ten Commandments were written in stone! It wasn't this memory business. The Jewish people were the careful custodians of the written scriptures:

What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. Romans 3:1-2

Most of us know how carefully the written word was kept by God's chosen people, Israel.

God has always emphasized the importance of keeping His written word:

This BOOK OF THE LAW SHALL NOT DEPART OUT OF THY MOUTH; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is WRITTEN therein... Joshua 1:8

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and it is ALL about the importance of knowing the scriptures.

But what about in the New Testament? Jesus read from the BOOK Isaiah in the synagogue:

Luke 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the BOOK of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was WRITTEN,

Paul read the gospel of JESUS IN THE WRITTEN WORD! Listen:

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES

We know Timothy had the WRITTEN word of the gospel as a child:

...from a child thou hast known the holy SCRIPTURES, which ARE ABLE TO MAKE THEE WISE UNTO SALVATION THROUGH FAITH WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS. 2 Timothy 3:15

The Bereans didn't just listen to what the apostles said, but they compared their teaching to the SCRIPTURES to see if those things were so.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Acts 17:11

We are told in the New Testament to study the word and RIGHTLY divide it. That means don't be misinterpreting! Tell the truth about the Bible, not lies:

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Well, what is the truth? Jesus told us:

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17

I could go on and on examining this issue of us true believers always having the scriptures...

  • The apostles' WRITTEN epistles were read to the churches (e.g., James, Hebrew, Thessalonians, Colossians, etc.)
  • Peter referred to Paul's epistles as SCRIPTURE.
  • The Ethiopian eunuch was READING THE SCRIPTURES when Philip came up to his chariot.

Did the Catholic religion give me the scriptures?

I can't believe they are even forming their mouths to say this. The Catholic religion hates the Bible. The Catholic religion killed upwards of 50 MILLION PEOPLE because they wanted to stop the reading of the Bible. What gall they have to mention this thing about giving me the scriptures. They BURNED the scriptures.

Do not be under the false assumption that there was ever a time when the Catholic religion had control of all Christendom. True Bible believers have always been around living, growing and thriving in isolated areas--people like the Waldensians and the Lollardsands.


Is the Bible enough?

The Catholic religion says, "No, the Bible is not enough. You have to keep it in perspective." But the Bible says something entirely different. Revelation says the BIBLE IS COMPLETE. That means the Bible ain't missin' nothin! There is nothing to be added and nothing to be taken away.

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelation 22:18-19

If you are a Catholic person teaching people to believe in Tradition, you need to re-evaluate what you are doing. Not only do you follow a false gospel, you add to and subtract from God's word. You might want to read the above again and consider what you are doing.

I've compiled a list of every New Testament reference to the word "scripture". NO WHERE will you find it say that the scriptures are not sufficient for everything that we need. One Catholic told me,

"The Bible itself never claims to be the sole rule of faith. The Bible claims itself useful to settle disputes, etc..but never, anywhere does it say that faith and Christianity is taught ONLY through the Bible."

Of course this is not true, but the larger question is this:

Where does the Bible say that it is NOT the sole rule of faith?

If what you believe is supposed to be based on the Bible, then logically speaking, there must be a place that specifically sanctions the Catholic religion and its traditions. You won't find it. The burden of proof rests on the Catholic, not the Bible believer.


What does Tradition mean to the Catholic?

How does the Catholic reliance on the Traditions of men manifest itself? They quote men like they quote the Bible! In fact, they are commanded to believe 100% of everything that Tradition says and they MUST EQUATE TRADITION with the Bible, the word of God! Catholic quotes:

"...a man by the name of Helvidius concluded..."

"St. Jerome rose up to proclaim..."

"Pope Pious said..."

Catholics quote MEN just like they are quoting the Word of God and believe EVERYTHING men say! But doesn't the Bible say, "Let God be true and EVERY man a liar?" They believe lies! They teach lies! They have committed their very souls to liars. Open your eyes and see Catholic reader.


An example of tradition in action.

Let's take an example of one of their grievous errors--their worship of Mary. It simply CANNOT be justified through the scriptures. It simply CANNOT be done. But it can be REFUTED from the Bible! That's why they are alway bringing up a "sola scriptura" mumbo-jumbo mix and want to fuss with you about it. The ONLY way that you can assert that Mary was a "perpetual virgin" is through Catholic Traditions. You CANNOT find this error in the Bible. You cannot. It is same thing with practically everything else they believe.


Conclusion

Either you believe the written word or you'll believe what MEN tell you about the written word. Catholics will tell you, "I believe the Bible is 100% true and I believe that Catholic Tradition is 100% true." I've got news for you, two contradictory documents cannot both be 100% true. It is logically impossible.

God will not accept your worship based on a lie.

SOURCE


False Religions