Steve Ray shared a typical scenario on his Face Book wall and @ his blog. I have included some of the best comments. :-)
Protestants often accuse Catholics of making up doctrines or tradition. They often press their point by asking "Where do you find that in the Bible?"
A good answer, of course, is to respond, "Where do you find in the Bible, that you have to find everything in the Bible?"
The idea everything has to be found in the Bible is itself an unbiblical tradition!
The interesting comments that followed:
SOLA SCRIPTURA
~~I've heard some Protestants use Timothy 3:16-17 as a basis for Sola Scriptura.
~~Here's what Timothy 3:16-17 exactly says (we must be aware of the rephrasing other religions are fond of doing)
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
--> It doesn't state that you have to find everything in the Bible ;-D
~~The key word in that verse is "useful" as useful does not imply "sufficient" or ALL that is needed.
~~When Timothy wrote that, the only Scripture they had was the OT. Besides their writings, it was all word of mouth/tradition.
~~And remember 1 Timothy 3:15 -- "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."
~~Let us not forget 2 Thessalonians 2:15 which tells us:
"So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us."
This is our justification for maintaining Holy Tradition... So that when our Holy Traditions are challenged... this is what we can use to defend them! Of course this only works for those Holy Traditions that were handed down to us from the Holy Apostles through the Church Fathers...
~~God intended for the whole truth! even in the Gospel of John we are taught that Christ said and did more than what is written so does that mean we should ignore that because its irrelevant.. but its ...still the life of Christ!
~~ Ephesians 3... that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known...Through. The. Church.
WHERE DID THE BIBLE COME FROM?
~~The bible itself is a product of Tradition.
~~A nice man came to our door & left a bible & business card with two of my kids. It was NIV from a local Baptist church. I returned it, politely, the next day (wearing a Catholic-to-the-Max t-shirt).
I told them I wanted to bring this back, as it was missing 7 books, the last 2 chapters of Daniel, and letters in Esther. They stared at me like I lost my last marbles. So I helped them out. I said, "I like the Douay-Rheims myself."
They just kept staring at me. Never pass on the chance to help your Christian brothers & sisters.
~~Where did the protestants get the Bible? Without the Catholic Church there would be no Bible.
~~It's like some protestants think the Bible fell from the sky during the Reformation.
~~Surprisingly - This isn't too far from the truth - I asked the question once to some co-workers "Where did THIS BOOK come from," as I was holding a bible -- like -- the physical book. The answer was "God gave it to us."
I proceeded to explain nicea, Jerome, the whole lot. It didnt phase them. The answer just became more fortified, "God inspired scripture . . . . God gave it to us."
~~I have had protestants ask why we added books to the Bible.
~~The Church brought the bible to the world, so we added nothing. Correct them and tell them we compiled it, and also ask them when would we have added them? The 2nd century, the 5th, the 9th? When? :-)
Jesus and the New Testament writers quoted from the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament.
