Show us the verses.
Show us the verses that say *Catholic church*, and *sacred tradition*.
Prove to us what the traditions are of which Paul spoke. Prove that they came directly from the apostles and that they were passed down faithfully without corruption.
God tells us in His word that Scripture provides everything we need to be complete as a man or woman of God.
2 Timothy 3:14-17 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Not to mention the loads upon loads of blatant contradictions or Scripture that the Romanists have in their laws.
Apparently obedience to the Word of God is optional for Catholics.
Doesn’t even matter if they add ‘sacred tradition’ to the Word or not; if they contradict the Word, the Catholics are wrong.
And they do.
See post 446
What I find fascinating in speaking with non-Catholics about this is almost all of them agree with a Catholic understanding here when it comes to the authority of Jesus. But here is what they almost universally miss: Just about every time the New Testament reveals the radical nature of Christ’s authority, you will find in close proximity Christ then giving a similar authority to the Church.
Matt. 28:18-20:
… All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (the implication is go with my authority).
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/how-can-the-church-teach-angels
Your comment: “God tells us in His word that Scripture provides everything we need to be complete as a man or woman of God.”
But you ignore these words of Jesus: “Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. 54Whoever eats* my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”
Tim. 3:14-15:
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, 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 bulwark (foundation) of the truth.
Notice, this last text is given in the context of St. Paul describing some of the offices of the Church; namely, the bishop and the deacon (i.e. earlier in chapter 3).
St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians
The above represent very plain texts. And there are many more we could consider. But for our purpose here, consider St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. In chapter 1, St. Paul says plainly that the Church is the fullness of Christ in the world today; thus, to reject the Church is to reject Christ:
Eph. 1:20-23:
[God] raised [Christ] from the dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; and he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
In chapter 2, St. Paul tells us the Church is the foundation of our faith (specifically, it says “the apostles and prophets” are the foundation, with Jesus Christ “being the cornerstone”), similar to what he said in I Tim. 3:15:
You cannot expect someone so dependent upon priestly empowerment to understand what you so clearly communicated. Such priestly ‘power’ will continue to lead people down the hell-bound works road.