Against "sola scriptura".

What is "sola scriptura"?

"sola scriptura" can be defined in many different ways, however it is always used by anti-Catholics to attack Catholic doctrine, teaching and tradition. The core principle is that sacred Scripture alone is sufficient and we can therefore cast aside, in some sense, tradition. The concept leads to the watering down of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, disappearance of a guiding authority of the Church for its faithful and misinterpretation of sacred Scripture leading to grave error.

Sacred Scripture refutes "sola scriptura"

2 Thessalonians 2:15

So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.

Acts 11:25-26

So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the Church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians.

Saint Paul the Apostle instructs the Thessalonians to hold to the traditions which were taught to them by the apostles and their students, through letter (sacred Scripture) as well as by word of mouth. This makes even more sense, considering that the New Testament had not been compiled yet at the time of the writing of Paul's Epistles (obviously). Also in Acts we read about the apostles teaching different churches for extended periods of time in the tradition that had been handed to them: "For a whole year they met with the Church, and taught a large company of people;". We must have faith in the Church that she preserved and held to tradition as she was instructed by the blessed Saint Paul and the other apostles. Much of this tradition can be found in the Didache, which is a document written in the mid-to-late first century, before some other books of the New Testament had even been written.

Interpretation of scripture

Many different protestant denominations claim to hold to "sola scriptura", these denominations however differ greatly in their interpretation of scripture. These protestants may say that this is not a huge issue because the doctrines that they disagree on are supposedly "minors" and not "majors". I would counter this argument in two parts, firstly, I would say that no doctrine revealed to us by God is "minor", instead I would argue that every single revelation that we have received from God through scripture is incredibly "major" and should be treated for what it is: divine revelation. Secondly, the doctrines that one protestant may find to be "minors", another protestant may find to be "majors". Protestants simply do not have an authority that can settle these disputes of interpretation and classification of "minors" and "majors".

Matthew 16:18

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

The Holy Catholic Church interprets scripture through sacred Tradition passed down to us from Jesus Christ, our lord, through the apostles, unto their students and so on. Furthermore, more nuanced or luminous doctrines are discussed, researched and debated on by councils of the faithful. There are incredibly many writings of the early Church Fathers that show that the early Church believed what the Catholic Church still teaches today. The Church is protected by the Holy Spirit and "the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Preservation of scripture

Scripture was preserved, protected and translated by the Catholic Church. This means that protestants claim that although the Catholic Church has twisted and corrupted sacred Tradition, they did however preserve sacred Scripture, even though she supposedly misinterprets many important parts of it. It seems that it would be unwise to trust such a, allegedly, twisted and corrupt institution to preserve and protect sacred Scripture.