Tanner, Catholics believe that the fullness of divine revelation consists both of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.
Christ founded a Church, which preceded Scripture. Scripture comes from the Church, not the other way around.
That doesn’t mean that Catholics don’t read Scripture. Every Catholic Church I have attended has had Bible Study. We read Sacred Scripture at every Mass–OT, Psalms, and NT. Personal reading of the Bible is encouraged by the Church. Saint Jerome, who translated a vernacular bible in the 4th Century, wrote that, for a Catholic, “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” We revere Scripture as an inerrant source of the teachings of Christ.
Rather, it means that we believe that it is “not sufficient ON ITS OWN to explain the fullness of divine revelation”. It needs an infallible interpreter to prevent error. In fact, Scripture itself does not, anywhere, say that it is to be the only guide to faith. Rather, it tells us that it is not a matter of private interpretation (the Epistle of Peter). It tells us that the Holy Spirit was given to the Apostles to guide the Church to all Truth.
Christ founded a Church, He didn’t write a book.
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We are in agreement, but not for the same reasons: “not sufficient ON ITS OWN to explain the fullness of divine revelation.” Why? Romans 1 tells us that all are without excuse because the creations reveals Gods attributes…I’ll let it speak for itself.
Romans 1 “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that
they are without excuse”…“although they know the ordinance of God”
Romans 2 “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,”
So there is “general revelation” and then “special or divine” revelation, which is the Scripture. Beyond that; there is no other revelation, nor does there need to be or else God would have given more…right?
2 timothy 3:10-17 (for context) Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, {and} sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium {and} at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed {from bad} to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned {them,} and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. Of course we all are familiar with this passage; Catholic tend to use this as proof that not everything is there because of the word “profitable”.
And John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written. Catholics use this to also show that there is more, but if you look at the passage; it talks about the things He DID; not SAID. If you think of all the miracles and banishment of illness; it would take a lot of writing to get all the details…agree?
There are more passages used as well, but the main one seems to be 2 Thessalonians 2:15 “So then, brethren, stand firm and
hold to the traditions which you were taught,
whether by word {of mouth} or by letter from us.” First the letters were written to church(s) in the area(s) Paul ministered; he obviously expected the people would understand what was written; it is understood because the Holy Spirit indwells true believers and guides them to truth; at the individual level. Also, notice he mentions what he wrote; which we know a great deal of the NT is the Pauline epistles; so Scripture was already being written just not organized into what we now know as the Bible.
The question now becomes; what are these traditions that already existed? We don’t know; so either they are already in Scripture or we do not need to know. But you cannot make the claim that these traditions are part of the Catholic Church because they already existed and Scripture does not tell us one way or the other exactly what Paul referred to. Any extra revelation fro the Church would have to be proven to come from divine origin; which it cannot prove via Scripture; unless you impose upon what the Scripture teaches.
Therefore; “In Him, you also, after
listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–
having also believed, you were
sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance”
John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will
teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
All things are in reference to the things of God; for example the gospel.
John 15:26 “When
the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, {that i
s} the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me”
John 16 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth;”
The point is that it is the Holy Spirit that indwells individual believers and guides them to the truth. I could touch a dozen or so more to make the same point. It is not entrusted to a religion, but to the individual who has received the Holy Spirit; that’s it-no exceptions or additions. Read Psalm 19 and it will drill it into your souls the truth I refer to written in Scripture.**
