You stated correctly that.....…….. "This is not explicitly explained in the Bible, true, (and as Catholics, we are not bound to Scripture alone, but that's another topic for another day)"
AND right there my dear friend is the rub that separates the Protestant faith from the Catholic. The Bible says in Mark 7:8...…. "Having neglected the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."
As a protestant believer I accept the Word of God as the Bible and you are bound by the traditions of men.
JL:
CCC120 It was by the apostolic Tradition that the Church discerned which writings are to be included in the list of the sacred books. This complete list is called the canon of Scripture. It includes 46 books for the Old Testament (45 if we count Jeremiah and Lamentations as one) and 27 for the New.
Catechism of the Catholic Church - PART 1 SECTION 1 CHAPTER 2 ARTICLE 3
CCC86 "Yet this
Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God, but is its servant. It teaches only what has been handed on to it. At the divine command and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it listens to this devotedly, guards it with dedication and expounds it faithfully. All that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed is drawn from this single deposit of faith."
The Church also accepts the Bible as the Word of God along with Apostolic Tradition. The Word of God whether by word or epistle, as the Bible explicitly teaches.
[2Thes2:14 Whereunto he called you by
our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore,
brethren, stand fast, and
hold the traditions which ye have been
taught, whether by word, or our epistle.]
Unless one can find scripture telling us
all oral Apostolic Tradition is now
found in S
cripture they are not following the Bible but a tradition of men nullifying the Word of God, which as you rightly point out Christ condemned.
[1Thes2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.]
There are three authorities neither stands alone. One, the Scriptures interpreted in light of two the Apostolic Tradition as received and lived out in the one visible Apostolic Catholic Church of God, the pillar and ground of truth, 1Tm3:15. Three, the Apostolic College of bishops and their sent successors appointed by laying on of hands from the apostles to bishops to bishops till the end. The teaching authority Christ sent to teach all nations promising He would be with that teaching authority unto the end of the world, Mt28:16-20. Also promising to send the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth, Jn16:13.] Scripture and Apostolic Tradition can never contradict.
[2Tm2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 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 Tm1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.]
The Church was up and running, converting, preaching, baptizing, correcting, teaching the manifold wisdom of the gospel, fifteen to twenty years or so before the first word of the NT was even penned and almost four hundred years before the canon was officially listed. By what authority then was the gospel taught? What authority decided which books were inspired and which were not inspired?
[Mt18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.]
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