Jesus In A Cheeto? Religious Sightings

I noticed in another post you called a believer, a heretic.

St. Thomas defines heresy: "a species of infidelity in men who, having professed the faith of Christ, corrupt its dogmas."

If I see error, I call it like I see it. If you think I'm wrong, you are welcome to mount a reasonable argument. But idle threats are not a deterrant for me. Sorry.

Don't take it personally. When you come Home to the True Deposit of Faith in the Catholic Church, I will welcome you with open arms. I will pray for your conversion. God bless.

You present me with little more that just further INTERPRETATIONS of Scripture, but you do not explain how it is that you Protestants, all united in your belief in Sola Scriptura, cannot get it together when it comes to the doctrine of "rapture." Which Protestant Church should a Catholic convert listen to? Not that I am going to convert, but the inconsistencies among the Protestant sects are hardly convincing to a Catholic who has 2000 years of rock solid history -- founded (literally) on the tomb of the rock, St. Peter -- to turn to as a legitimate authority when it comes to Scriptural teaching, rather than a diverse gang of sects who have come late in history when it has been convenient for them to interpret Scripture differently.

But don't listen to me, listen to the Church Fathers:

"[T]hat it is neither possible for us ever to forsake Christ, who suffered for the salvation of such as shall be saved throughout the whole world (the blameless one for sinners), nor to worship any other. For Him indeed, as being the Son of God, we adore; but the martyrs, as disciples and followers of the Lord, we worthily love on account of their extraordinary affection towards their own King and Master, of whom may we also be made companions and fellow disciples! The centurion then, seeing the strife excited by the Jews, placed the body in the midst of the fire, and consumed it. Accordingly, we afterwards took up his bones, as being more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more purified than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, whither, being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already finished their course, and for the exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their steps." Martyrdom of Polycarp 17,18 (A.D. 157).

"[Appealing to the three companions of Daniel] Think of me, I beseech you, so that I may achieve with you the same fate of martyrdom." Hippolytus of Rome, On Daniel, 11:30 (A.D. 204).

"As often as the anniversary comes round, we make offerings for the dead as birthday honours." Tertullian, The Crown, 3 (A.D. 211).

"Nor is that kind of title to glories in the case of Celerinus, our beloved, an unfamiliar and novel thing. He is advancing in the footsteps of his kindred; he rivals his parents and relations in equal honours of divine condescension. His grandmother, Celerina, was some time since crowned with martyrdom. Moreover, his paternal and maternal uncles, Laurentius and Egnatius, who themselves also were once warring in the camps of the world, but were true and spiritual soldiers of God, casting down the devil by the confession of Christ, merited palms and crowns from the Lord by their illustrious passion. We always offer sacrifices for them, as you remember, as often as we celebrate the passions and days of the martyrs in the annual commemoration. Nor could he, therefore, be degenerate and inferior whom this family dignity and a generous nobility provoked, by domestic examples of virtue and faith. But if in a worldly family it is a matter of heraldry and of praise to be a patrician, of bow much greater praise and honour is it to become of noble rank in the celestial heraldry! I cannot tell whom I should call more blessed,--whether those ancestors, for a posterity so illustrious, or him, for an origin so glorious. So equally between them does the divine condescension flow, and pass to and fro, that, just as the dignity of their offspring brightens their crown, so the sublimity of his ancestry illuminates his glory." Cyprian, To Clergy and People, Epistle 33(39):3 (A.D. 250).

"I am also of opinion that there were many persons of the same name with John the apostle, who by their love for him, and their admiration and emulation of him, and their desire to be loved by the Lord as he was loved, were induced to embrace also the same designation, just as we find many of the children of the faithful called by the names of Paul and Peter." Dionysius of Alexandria, Books of Promises, 5 (A.D. 257).

"Then we commemorate also those who have fallen asleep before us, first Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, that at their prayers and intercessions God would receive our petition. Then on behalf also of the Holy Fathers and Bishops who have fallen asleep before us, and in a word of all who in past years have fallen asleep among us, believing that it will be a very great benefit to the souls, for whom the supplication is put up, while that holy and most awful sacrifice is set forth." Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 23:9 (A.D. 350).

"Thus might you console us; but what of the flock? Would you first promise the oversight and leadership of yourself, a man under whose wings we all would gladly repose, and for whose words we thirst more eagerly than men suffering from thirst for the purest fountain? Secondly, persuade us that the good shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep has not even now left us; but is present, and tends and guides, and knows his own, and is known of his own, and, though bodily invisible, is spiritually recognized, and defends his flock against the wolves, and allows no one to climb over into the fold as a robber and traitor; to pervert and steal away, by the voice of strangers, souls under the fair guidance of the truth. Aye, I am well assured that his intercession is of more avail now than was his instruction in former days, since he is closer to God, now that he has shaken off his bodily fetters, and freed his mind from the clay which obscured it, and holds intercourse naked with the nakedness of the prime and purest Mind; being promoted, if it be not rash to say so, to the rank and confidence of an angel." John Chrysostom, On the Death of his Father, Oration 18:4 (A.D. 374).

"He voluntarily undertook all the toil of the journey; he moderated the energy of the faithful on the spot; he persuaded opponents by his arguments; in the presence of priests and deacons, and of many others who fear the Lord, he took up the relics with all becoming reverence, and has aided the brethren in their preservation. These relics do you receive with a joy equivalent to the distress with which their custodians have parted with them and sent them to you. Let none dispute; let none doubt. Here you have that unconquered athlete. These bones, which shared in the conflict with the blessed soul, are known to the Lord. These bones He will crown, together with that soul, in the righteous day of His requital, as it is written, 'we must stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may give an account of the deeds he has done in the body.' One coffin held that honoured corpse. None other lay by his side. The burial was a noble one; the honours of a martyr were paid him. Christians who had welcomed him as a guest and then with their own hands laid him in the grave, have now disinterred him. They have wept as men bereaved of a father and a champion. But they have sent him to you, for they put your joy before their own consolation. Pious were the hands that gave; scrupulously careful were the hands that received. There has been no room for deceit; no room for guile. I bear witness to this. Let the untainted truth be accepted by you." Basil, To Ambrose bishop of Milan, Epistle 197 (A.D. 375).

"Furthermore, as to mentioning the names of the dead, how is there anything very useful in that? What is more timely or more excellent than that those who are still here should believe that the departed do live, and that they have not retreated into nothingness, but that they exist and are alive with the Master...Useful too is the prayer fashioned on their behalf...For we make commemoration of the just and of sinners: of sinners, begging God's mercy for them; of the just and the Fathers and Patriarchs and Prophets and Apostles and Evangelists and martyrs and confessors, and of bishops and solitaries, and of the whole list of them..." Epiphanius, Panarion, 75:8 (A.D. 377).

"Only may that power come upon us which strengthens weakness, through the prayers of him[i.e. St. Paul] who made his own strength perfect in bodily weakness." Gregory of Nyssa, Against Eunomius, 1:1(A.D. 380).

"But God forbid that any in this fair assembly should appear there suffering such things! but by the prayers of the holy fathers, correcting all our offences, and having shown forth the abundant fruit of virtue, may we depart hence with much confidence." John Chrysostom, On Statues, Homily 6:19 (A.D. 387).

"As to our paying honor to the memory of the martyrs, and the accusation of Faustus, that we worship them instead of idols, I should not care to answer such a charge, were it not for the sake of showing how Faustus, in his desire to cast reproach on us, has overstepped the Manichaean inventions, and has fallen heedlessly into a popular notion found in Pagan poetry, although he is so anxious to be distinguished from the Pagans. For in saying that we have turned the idols into martyrs, be speaks of our worshipping them with similar rites, and appeasing the shades of the departed with wine and food…It is true that Christians pay religious honor to the memory of the martyrs, both to excite us to imitate them and to obtain a share in their merits, and the assistance of their prayers. But we build altars not to any martyr, but to the God of martyrs, although it is to the memory of the martyrs. No one officiating at the altar in the saints' burying-place ever says, We bring an offering to thee, O Peter! or O Paul! or O Cyprian! The offering is made to God, who gave the crown of martyrdom, while it is in memory of those thus crowned. The emotion is increased by the associations of the place, and. love is excited both towards those who are our examples, and towards Him by whose help we may follow such examples. We regard the martyrs with the same affectionate intimacy that we feel towards holy men of God in this life, when we know that their hearts are prepared to endure the same suffering for the truth of the gospel. There is more devotion in our feeling towards the martyrs, because we know that their conflict is over; and we can speak with greater confidence in praise of those already victors in heaven, than of those still combating here.” Augustine, Against Faustus, 20:21 (A.D. 400).

"We, it is true, refuse to worship or adore, I say not the relics of the martyrs, but even the sun and moon, the angels and archangels, the Cherubim and Seraphim and 'every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come.' For we may not "serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Still we honour the relics of the martyrs, that we may adore Him whose martyrs they are. We honour the servants that their honour may be reflected upon their Lord who Himself says:--'he that receiveth you receiveth me.' I ask Vigilantius, Are the relics of Peter and of Paul unclean? Was the body of Moses unclean, of which we are told (according to the correct Hebrew text) that it was buried by the Lord Himself? And do we, every time that we enter the basilicas of apostles and prophets and martyrs, pay homage to the shrines of idols? Are the tapers which burn before their tombs only the tokens of idolatry? I will go farther still and ask a question which will make this theory recoil upon the head of its inventor and which will either kill or cure that frenzied brain of his, so that simple souls shall be no more subverted by his sacrilegious reasonings. Let him answer me this, Was the Lord's body unclean when it was placed in the sepulchre? And did the angels clothed in white raiment merely watch over a corpse dead and defiled, that ages afterwards this sleepy fellow might indulge in dreams and vomit forth his filthy surfeit, so as, like the persecutor Julian, either to destroy the basilicas of the saints or to convert them into heathen temples?" Jerome, To Riparius, Epistle 109:1 (A.D. 404).

"For you say that the souls of Apostles and martyrs have their abode either in the bosom of Abraham, or in the place of refreshment, or under the altar of God, and that they cannot leave their own tombs, and be present there they will…And while the devil and the demons wander through the whole world, and with only too great speed present themselves everywhere; are martyrs, after the shedding of their blood, to be kept out of sight shut up in a coffin, from whence they cannot escape? You say, in your pamphlet, that so long as we are alive we can pray for one another; but once we die, the prayer of no person for another can be heard, and all the more because the martyrs, though they cry for the avenging of their blood, have never been able to obtain their request. If Apostles and martyrs while still in the body can pray for others, when they ought still to be anxious for themselves, how much more must they do so when once they have won their crowns, overcome, and triumphed? A single man, Moses, oft wins pardon from God for six hundred thousand armed men; and Stephen, the follower of his Lord and the first Christian martyr, entreats pardon for his persecutors; and when once they have entered on their life with Christ, shall they have less power than before? The Apostle Paul says that two hundred and seventy-six souls were given to him in the ship; and when, after his dissolution, he has begun to be with Christ, must he shut his mouth, and be unable to say a word for those who throughout the whole world have believed in his Gospel? Shall Vigilantius the live dog be better than Paul the dead lion? I should be right in saying so after Ecclesiastes, if I admitted that Paul is dead in spirit. The truth is that the saints are not called dead, but are said to be asleep. Wherefore Lazarus, who was about to rise again, is said to have slept. And the Apostle forbids the Thessalonians to be sorry for those who were asleep.” Jerome, Against Vigilantius, 6 (A.D. 406).

"Even if we make images of pious men it is not that we may adore them as gods but that when we see them we might be prompted to imitate them." Cyril of Alexandria, On Psalms 113 (115) (ante A.D. 444).

"The noble souls of the triumphant are sauntering around heaven, dancing in the choruses of the bodiless; and not one tomb for each conceals their bodies, but cities and villages divide them up and call them healers and preservers of souls and bodies, and venerate them a guardians and protectors of cities; and when they intervene as ambassadors before the Master of the universe the divine gifts are obtained through them; and though the body has been divided, its grace has continued undivided. And that little particle and smallest relic has the same power as the absolutely and utterly undivided martyr." Theodoret of Cyrus, The Cure of Pagan Maladies, 8:54 (A.D. 449).

" Thou gainest nothing, thou prevailest nothing, O savage cruelty. His mortal frame is released from thy devices, and, when Laurentius departs to heaven, thou art vanquished. The flame of Christ's love could not be overcome by thy flames, and the fire which burnt outside was less keen than that which blazed within. Thou didst but serve the martyr in thy rage, O persecutor: thou didst but swell the reward in adding to the pain. For what did thy cunning devise, which did not redound to the conqueror's glory, when even the instruments of torture were counted as part of the triumph? Let us rejoice, then, dearly-beloved, with spiritual joy, and make our boast over the happy end of this illustrious man in the Lord, Who is 'wonderful in His saints,' in whom He has given us a support and an example, and has so spread abroad his glory throughout the world, that, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the brightness of his deacon's light doth shine, and Rome is become as famous in Laurentius as Jerusalem was ennobled by Stephen. By his prayer and intercession we trust at all times to be assisted; that, because all, as the Apostle says, 'who wish to live holily in Christ, suffer persecutions,' we may be strengthened with the spirit of love, and be fortified to overcome all temptations by the perseverance of steadfast faith. Through our LORD Jesus Christ." Pope Leo the Great [regn. A.D. 440-461], On the Feast of Laurence the Martyr, Sermon 85:4 (ante A.D. 461).

"To the saints honour must be paid as friends of Christ, as sons and heirs of God: in the words of John the theologian and evangelist, As many as received Him, to them gave He power to became sons of God. So that they are no longer servants, but sons: and if sons, also heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ: and the Lord in the holy Gospels says to His apostles, Ye are My friends. Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth. And further, if the Creator and Lord of all things is called also King of Kings and Lord of Lords and God of Gods, surely also the saints are gods and lords and kings. For of these God is and is called God and Lord and King. For I am the God of Abraham, He said to Moses, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. And God made Moses a god to Pharaoh. Now I mean gods and kings and lords not in nature, but as rulers and masters of their passions, and as preserving a truthful likeness to the divine image according to which they were made (for the image of a king is also called king), and as being united to God of their own free-will and receiving Him as an indweller and becoming by grace through participation with Him what He is Himself by nature. Surely, then, the worshippers and friends and sons of God are to be held in honour? For the honour shown to the most thoughtful of fellow-servants is a proof of good feeling towards the common Master." John of Damascene, Orthodox Faith, 4:15 (A.D. 743).

"We, therefore, following the royal pathway and the divinely inspired authority of our Holy Fathers and the traditions of the Catholic Church (for, as we all know, the Holy Spirit indwells her), define with all certitude and accuracy that just as the figure of the precious and life-giving Cross, so also the venerable and holy images, as well in painting and mosaic as of other fit materials, should be set forth in the holy churches of God, and on the sacred vessels and on the vestments and on hangings and in pictures both in houses and by the wayside, to wit, the figure of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, of our spotless Lady, the Mother of God, of the honourable Angels, of all Saints and of all pious people. For by so much more frequently as they are seen in artistic representation, by so much more readily are men lifted up to the memory of their prototypes, and to a longing after them; and to these should be given due salutation and honourable reverence, not indeed that true worship of faith (latria) which pertains alone to the divine nature; but to these, as to the figure of the precious and life-giving Cross and to the Book of the Gospels and to the other holy objects, incense and lights may be offered according to ancient pious custom. For the honour which is paid to the image passes on to that which the image represents, and he who reveres the image reveres in it the subject represented. For thus the teaching of our holy Fathers, that is the tradition of the Catholic Church, which from one end of the earth to the other hath received the Gospel, is strengthened." Ecumenical Council of Nicea II, Action VII (A.D. 787).

I continue to pray for your conversion so I can welcome you Home. God bless.

Ping

Your church fathers were sinners just as you and I are...You guys study the writings of your church fathers...I study the Holy Scriptures...

Why anyone would put more stock in the writings of sinful men than in the God-breathed words of the Holy Scriptures is beyond me...

It is proven fact that at least some of the writings you hold so dearly are forgeries...In which case, no one can say for certain they are not all forgeries...

God says do not put your trust in men...But that's exactly what you guys do...I've heard countless protestant preachers tell their congregations; don't believe me, I'm just a man...Check the scriptures to test me...

Jesus said to prove all things...You can prove all things only if you have a standard...Jesus told us in the scriptures to prove all things, therefore the only standard possible is the scriptures...

but you do not explain how it is that you Protestants, all united in your belief in Sola Scriptura, cannot get it together when it comes to the doctrine of "rapture."

Minor detail...Has to do with the same sin you have, not believing what God wrote...But it has nothing to do with the saving Gospel...

keep your deceptive prayers. I am a child of the Most High - I follow God’s Word - you follow man’s.

God’s Word is true and every man a liar.

keep your deceptive prayers.

I do not need your consent to pray for you. I don't see how you could see any harm whatsoever in my praying for you to know the Truth. It is a sign that your motives are demonic that you have not, likewise, offered to pray for me. Think about that. God bless.

I do not need your consent to pray for you

I already bound your words (what you consider prayer)concerning me.

I am the righteousness of God and 'no weapon (your words) formed against me shall prosper'.

Focus within and you may find Truth - anyone walking with The Lord can see your deception but you.

Don't make this thread "about" individual Freepers. That is a form of "making it personal."

Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.

I do note that you haven’t engaged me on the issues — just personal attacks. If you want to engage me on rational grounds in a discussion of Scripture, using fair-minded styles of argumentation and in good faith, I’m game. Keep in mind, I was simply posting my thoughts when you came along and commented critically on my post — I only defended the Truth as I understand it, as it has been revealed to me by the Holy Spirit. And, yes, every time I read the Word, I ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. You can choose to believe what you like, but this is the truth with all sincerity and with God as my witness. God bless.

Thank you and I understand - ‘Making it personal’ includes calling posters ‘heretics’ and ‘how much they need prayer’ is where it all began.

Thank you and I understand - ‘Making it personal’ includes calling posters ‘heretics’ and ‘how much they need prayer’ is where it all began.

I don't think it will be very productive to persist in a discussion of 'who started it.' I think we are above that.

Nothing I said was intended as a personal attack. The intention of prayer for another person, from my perspective, is certainly not an attack, but an act of love. Even if you think I am wrong, please understand, from within my faith, it is with the intention to save your soul. On my part, I am not personally offended when a Protestant attempts to evangelize to me, because even though I disagree with his theology -- and yes, I must assert as a Catholic it is based on heresy -- I realize the intention in most cases is sincerely an act of love -- a desire to save me.

God bless.

You say that you put your trust in Scriptures. If that is so, then you must put your Trust in the WHOLE of Scripture, and not just pick and choose what is convenient to your theology and choose to ignore the rest. I think you will agree with me on that point, yes? Of course you will.

Looking to Scripture, then, it is the Word of God that tells us that, in addition to the written Word, we are to accept the oral tradition of the Church.

St. Paul both commends and commands the keeping of oral tradition. In 1 Corinthians 11:2, for instance, we read, "Now I praise you, brethren, that in all things you are mindful of me: and keep my ordinances as I have delivered them to you." (Note: The word translated as "ordinances" is also translated 'teachings' or 'traditions'; for example, the New International Version gives "teachings," with a footnote: "Or traditions.").

St. Paul is obviously commending the keeping of oral tradition here, and it should be noted in particular that he extols the believers for having done so ("I praise you..."). Explicit in this passage is also the fact that the integrity of this Apostolic oral tradition has clearly been maintained, just as Our Lord promised it would be, through the safeguarding of the Holy Spirit (cf. JOhn 16:13).

Perhaps the clearest Biblical support for oral tradition can be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:14(15), where Christians are actually commanded: "Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle."

This passage is significant in that:

(a) it shows the existence of living traditions within the Apostolic teaching,
(b) it tells us unequivocally that believers are firmly grounded in the Faith by adhering to these traditions, and
(c) it clearly states that these traditions were both written and oral.

Since the Bible distinctly states here that oral traditions--authentic and Apostolic in origin--are to be "held" as a valid component of the Deposit of Faith, by what reasoning or excuse do you dismiss them? By what authority do you reject a clear-cut injunction of St. Paul?

Moreover, we must consider the text in its passage. The Greek word krateite, here translated "hold," means "to be strong, mighty, to prevail." This language is rather emphatic, and it demonstrates the importance of maintaining these traditions. Of course one must differentiate between Tradition (upper-case "T") that is part of divine Revelation, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, Church traditions (lower-case "t") that, although good, have developed in the Church later and are not part of the Deposit of Faith. An example of something that is part of Tradition would be infant Baptism; an example of a Church tradition would be the Church's calendar of feast days of Saints. Anything that is part of Tradition is of divine origin and hence unchangeable, while Church traditions are changeable by the Church.

Sacred Tradition serves as a rule of faith by showing what the Church has believed consistently through the centuries and how it has always understood any given portion of the Bible. One of the main ways in which Tradition has been passed down to us is in the doctrine contained in the ancient texts of the liturgy, the Church's public worship.

You accuse Catholics of promoting unbiblical or novel doctrines based on Tradition, asserting that such Tradition contains doctrines foreign to the Bible. However, this assertion is wholly untrue. The Catholic Church teaches that Sacred Tradition contains nothing whatsoever that is contrary to the Bible. Some Catholic thinkers would even say that there is nothing in Sacred Tradition which is not also found in Scripture, at least implicitly or in seminal form. Certainly the two are at least in perfect harmony and always support each other. For some doctrines, the Church draws more from Tradition than from Scripture for its understanding, but even those doctrines are often implied or hinted at in Sacred Scripture. For example, the following are largely based on Sacred Tradition: infant Baptism, the canon of Scripture, the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sunday (rather than Saturday) as the Lord's Day, and the Assumption of Our Lady.

Sacred Tradition complements our understanding of the Bible and is therefore not some extraneous source of Revelation which contains doctrines that are foreign to it. Quite the contrary: Sacred Tradition serves as the Church's living memory, reminding her of what the faithful have constantly and consistently believed and how to properly understand and interpret the meaning of Biblical passages.

One example of this interpretive memory involves Revelation 12. The Early Church Fathers understood the "woman clothed with the sun" to be a reference to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For someone to assert that this doctrine did not exist until 1950 (the year Pope Pius XII formally defined the doctrine) represents ignorance of ecclesial history. Essentially, the belief was held from the beginning, but it was not formally defined until the 20th century. Bear in mind that the Church often did not have a need to define a doctrine formally until it was formally challenged by someone (usually a heretic). Such occasions gave rise to the n4eed officially to define the "parameters" of the doctrine in question.

In a certain way, it is Sacred Tradition which says to the reader of the Bible, "You have been reading a very important book which contains God's revelation to man. Now let me explain to you how it has always been understood and practiced by believers from the very beginning."

Perhaps the clearest Biblical support for oral tradition can be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:14(15), where Christians are actually commanded: "Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle."

Your Catholic church has taught every one of you that this is some sort of proof text for accepting your man-made tradition...

The one little word in the verse that crumbles your tradition theory is the word OR...

Paul did not say AND...He said OR...So then you are faced with a decision...

Either Paul gave you a choice to stick with the written epistle, or you have the option of believing what was taught orally instead....

Your religion invented it's own man-made religion and called it Tradition and claimed it could use the written epistles AND it's homemade Tradition and used the verse you cited as proof of it's validity...

THAT'S NOT WHAT THE VERSE SAYS...

It says OR, not AND...Your religion has created a HOAX...

Since it is ludicrous to think Paul offered us a choice, the only possible explanation then is that the written word and the spoken tradition were identical...And of course, that's what it is...

Before the epistles were widely copied in the different churches, Paul dictated what would later become the written epistles for the churches...He went from house to house, church to church preaching the exact words which would ultimately become the written words in our scriptures...The Tradition is the words written in the scriptures...

Act 15:27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

Act 15:30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
Act 15:31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

Act 23:33 Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

1Th 5:27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

When the epistles were distributed, there was no Tradition involved...

2Th 3:14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

And you can bet that applies to ALL the epistles...Paul says to stay away from people who follow religious Traditions that are outside of the written epistles...That means YOU...Stay away from you and your religion...

Of course one must differentiate between Tradition (upper-case "T") that is part of divine Revelation
An example of something that is part of Tradition would be infant Baptism

Sorry Charlie...No one in your religion got any Divine Revelation to baptize babies, or anything else...

Some Catholic thinkers would even say that there is nothing in Sacred Tradition which is not also found in Scripture, at least implicitly or in seminal form. Certainly the two are at least in perfect harmony and always support each other.
For some doctrines, the Church draws more from Tradition than from Scripture for its understanding, but even those doctrines are often implied or hinted at in Sacred Scripture

For example, the following are largely based on Sacred Tradition: infant Baptism, the canon of Scripture, the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sunday (rather than Saturday) as the Lord's Day, and the Assumption of Our Lady.

Perpetual virginity of Mary, eh???

Psa 69:8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.

A reference to Jesus in the Psalms...Mary was NOT a perpetual virgin...And your Catholic 'thinkers' claim that your Traditions line up with the Bible...Ha!!! They just know most Catholics won't read the Bible to find out the truth...

One example of this interpretive memory involves Revelation 12. The Early Church Fathers understood the "woman clothed with the sun" to be a reference to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

No, your early church fathers did NOT understand...They guessed wrong...

The WOMAN of Rev. 12 is all over the Old Testament...The WOMAN is Israel as depicted in Isa. 26 and numerous other chapters and books in the O.T...

The Woman in Rev. 12 is definitely NOT Mary...

In a certain way, it is Sacred Tradition which says to the reader of the Bible, "You have been reading a very important book which contains God's revelation to man. Now let me explain to you how it has always been understood and practiced by believers from the very beginning."

HuH??? Your Tradition can't even find the WOMAN in the Old Testament...I wouldn't trust your Tradition with my parakeet...Here's some far better advice:

If you mess with that BOOK, that BOOK will mess with your head...

Paul did not say AND...He said OR...So then you are faced with a decision... Either Paul gave you a choice to stick with the written epistle, or you have the option of believing what was taught orally instead....

LOLOL

It doesn't say "instead."

Since it is ludicrous to think Paul offered us a choice...

It IS ludicrous to think Paul offered us a choice. No choice is required. He is saying we are to stand fast and hold to both, whether they came from here or there, spoken or written, Tradition or Scripture.

Psa 69:8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.

You wouldn't recognize a metaphor if it ran you down in the street.

Paul says to stay away from people who follow religious Traditions that are outside of the written epistles...

Not in 2Th 3:14 he doesn't.

It IS ludicrous to think Paul offered us a choice. No choice is required. He is saying we are to stand fast and hold to both, whether they came from here or there, spoken or written, Tradition or Scripture.

He did NOT say both..He did not say AND...He said OR...Can't you read???

He did not say instead. It IS ludicrous to think Paul offered us a choice. No choice is required. He is saying we are to stand fast and hold to the Traditions you have learned, whether by word or epistle, spoken or written, one or the other.

Whether you learned by word or epistle, hold to them.

Can't you read???

No need to be hostile.

No one has to like it when their "logic" is subjected to abject vivisection, but there's still no need to be hostile.

Not in 2Th 3:14 he doesn't.

Paul set the standard and that standard is that the epistles are to be read in the churches...And the epistles are not to be deviated from...