The Written & Oral Tradition

Catholics believe that both the written AND the oral teachings of the Apostles that have been passed down through the centuries are authoritative for the Christian disciple. The Apostle Paul writes to the Christians in the ancient city of Thessalonica to "stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours" (2 Thess. 2:15). Notice that the Apostle Paul told them to remain faithful to what he had taught them both orally and in writing. He doesn't say to only follow his oral teachings, or only his written teachings. He says for them to follow both.

In the Church we have the written teachings of the Apostles preserved in the New Testament Scriptures. These writings include personal, pastoral, and universal letters written by several of the Apostles themselves, and by their close companions. We also have the oral teachings of the Apostles faithfully preserved and passed on in the Church by the successors of the Apostles through the centuries. The written and oral teachings together form the whole Apostolic Tradition that Catholics have followed from the very beginning of the Church.