Catholic tradition - Apostolic Tradition, HELP!

[Craig_Guadagnol]

I shared 2Thes 2:12, and 15 with a Protestant to show that Apostolic Tradition was a valid authority on God and faith. He said I was twisting the meaning of scripture. He demanded that I give him the evidence that 2 Thess is refering to Catholic tradition as it has developed down through the centuries. He also demanded evidence that Paul is refering to what some unknown leader centuries later would be teaching. He then ridiculed me, saying that 2 Thes doesn’t prove that Catholic traditions were first taught by the Apostles. I am frustrated, because I don’t believe that I can teach him the orrigens of Catholic traditions if he will not accept that Apostolic Tradition has any authority to point out truth at all. Can anybody help me with the issues he brought up? Thanks.

God Bless,

Craig Guadagnolo

 

[gmk]

Craig,

I would suggest that the question is not whether or not the Tradition Paul is speaking of is Catholic. The simple fact that he is speaking of Tradition AT ALL ends the debate. Sola Scripture assigns no authority to tradition. Clearly Scripture itself does.

hope this helps…

 

[John_Henry]

As the previous writer said, the issue doesn’t turn on whether Paul was teaching about the Immaculate Conception, or whatever other Catholic distinctives. The point is simply that Paul, in the verse you point out, states that there is some teaching, not contained in writing, that he wants the Church to hold to. As the previous writer stated, that, in itself, is contrary to sola scriptura. There are other verses in the New Testament that allude to this also: 1 Cor 11:2, 1 Cor 15:3, 2 Tim 1:13, 1 Peter 1:25 to name but a few. There are also references in Jude (vs. 9 and 14-15) that allude to events not contained anywhere in the Old Testament (i.e., a tradition). Even Jesus references a good tradition in Mt 23:2, where he ackowledges the validity of “Moses’ seat”, a tradition nowhere described in the Old Testament. Same with 1 Cor 10:1-4, where the Rock is described as following the Israelites through the desert. Where’s that in the OT? That’s right, nowhere. There is much much more.

If your buddy comes back at you with, those traditions became invalid, or unnecessary after the NT canon was set (in AD 397!!! That alone says a lot about sola scriptura), simply ask for a verse that says that. He’ll be in a diddly of a pickle, because there is none.

Finally, read up here:
catholic.com/library/scripture_tradition.asp

And pray for your friend. You can’t make him accept things. He has to want to know the truth. Only God can do that.