Is the Bible alone all that we need?

By Fr Zdzislaw Karczewski

Does God speak to us through the Bible alone? Is the Bible alone sufficient? Knowing that during the first period of the Church there was no New Testament Bible, and that the Word of God was preached only orally, the answer is negative. The Bible alone is not sufficient. Although God speaks to us through the Bible, His inspired Word (2 Tim 3:16), it is not the only way He speaks to us. If God had wanted us to follow only the Bible, He would have said so. There is not a single quotation in the entire Bible where God says: ”Follow the Bible alone, that is enough”. On the contrary, in the second letter to the Thessalonians Saint Paul speaks about the Traditions to be followed: 'And so brothers stand firm and hold fast to the TRADITIONS, that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter' (2 Th 2:15).

God speaks to us in two ways: Through the Scripture and, through the Tradition. Paul speaks strongly that we must keep the Tradition brought to us through the Apostles: 'Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us' (2Th 3:6).

It is not enough to read the Bible. We have to know the true meaning of what we read, as Peter points out: … speaking of this as he [Paul] does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do to other scriptures (2 Pet 3:16).

How can we be sure whether we follow the correct interpretation, the right meaning of what we read? Is there any way to find the true meaning of the Word of God written in the Bible? To avoid any doubts and confusions, God bestowed upon His Church the obligation to keep and to guard the truth. The Catholic Church, the one and true Church established by Christ Himself 2000 years ago, the Church filled and guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church which is the pillar and foundation of the truth was commissioned to do this. As saint Paul says: ...if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the bulwark of the truth (1Tim 3:15).

The Magisterium of the Catholic Church presents to us the final and true meanings of the texts written in the Bible. The Second Vatican Council states it: But the task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether it is in written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching of the Church alone.[1]

The Church is not a child of the Bible, but its mother.[2]

The Church existed before the New Testament (Bible) was written. It ought to be very clearly stated, that the New Testament (Bible) has written by the Church and for the Church. The Scriptures can be properly understood only if they are read from within the Church, the Church established by Christ Himself, the Catholic Church.

[1] Dei Verbum, 10

[2] Rev. John A. O’Brien, The Faith of Millions, p.128.

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