08/25/2026
“IS IT IN THE BIBLE?” - THIS IS THE CATHOLIC RESPONSE
“Where is that in the Bible?”
A Catholic has probably heard this question many times.
Someone asks about the Rosary, Confession, praying for the dead, the intercession of saints, Mary, or another Catholic teaching, and immediately comes the question:
“Is it in the Bible?”
So how should a Catholic respond?
1. Yes, Catholics Believe in the Bible.
The Catholic Church does not reject Scripture.
Quite the opposite.
The Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and essential to the faith of the Church.
So when someone asks, “Is it in the Bible?”, don't be afraid of the question.
The Bible matters deeply to Catholics.
2. But Catholics Don't Believe the Bible Is the Only Source of Christian Teaching.
This is where the real difference begins.
Catholics believe that God's revelation comes to us through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, authentically interpreted by the Church.
St. Paul himself tells Christians 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 Thessalonians 2:15)
Notice something important:
Paul mentions both what was taught orally and what was taught in writing.
So not everything the Apostles taught was necessarily written down in the New Testament.
3. The Bible Itself Points Us to Apostolic Tradition.
The Catholic position is not:
“Tradition instead of the Bible.”
It is:
“Scripture and Apostolic Tradition.”
The early Christians received the Gospel through preaching, teaching, worship and written Scripture.
This is why the Church does not believe that Christianity began when the New Testament was finally compiled.
The Church existed before the complete New Testament was assembled.
4. What About Teachings That Aren't Stated Word-for-Word?
This is where Catholics often need to explain the issue carefully.
A doctrine does not have to appear in the Bible as a sentence saying:
“Catholics must pray the Rosary.”
Instead, Catholics ask:
What does Scripture teach?
What did the Apostles hand on?
How did the early Church understand and practice it?
How has the Church consistently taught it?
For example, the Bible may not contain the word “Trinity”, yet Christians believe in the Trinity because the doctrine is drawn from what Scripture reveals about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
5. The Church Came Before the New Testament Was Complete.
This is an important historical point.
Jesus did not hand the Apostles a finished New Testament and say:
“This is the complete Christian Bible.”
He established His Church and commissioned the Apostles to teach.
The New Testament writings were then written and preserved within the life of that apostolic Church.
St. Paul even calls the Church:
“the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.”
(1 Timothy 3:15)
So Catholics don't believe the Church invented Christianity after the Bible.
The Church received, preserved, proclaimed and transmitted the apostolic faith, including the Scriptures themselves.
6. So What Should a Catholic Say?
When someone asks:
“Is it in the Bible?”
Don't simply answer:
“No.”
That can make it sound as though Catholic teaching is unbiblical.
Instead, ask:
“Do you mean, is it explicitly stated word-for-word, or is it taught through the whole of Scripture and the Apostolic Tradition?”
That is a much better conversation.
Then examine the teaching honestly.
If it is clearly taught in Scripture, show the passage.
If it is rooted in Scripture but developed through Tradition and the Church's teaching, explain that.
And if something is merely a private Catholic custom or devotion, say so.
Not everything Catholics do has the same level of authority.
In simple words, When someone asks:
“Is it in the Bible?”
The Catholic response is not:
“The Bible doesn't matter.”
And it is not:
“Every Catholic practice must have an exact sentence in the Bible.”
The Catholic response is:
“We believe God's revelation is transmitted through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, authentically interpreted by the Church.”
So don't be afraid of the question.
Open the Bible.
Study the teaching.
Look at the Apostolic Tradition.
Look at the early Church.
And most importantly, seek the truth rather than simply trying to win an argument.
Now you know.
SOURCES
Sacred Scripture (Catholic Translation):
2 Thessalonians 2:15, 1 Timothy 3:15, John 20:30-31, John 21:25
Catechism of the Catholic Church §§74-83
Catechism of the Catholic Church §§84-95
Second Vatican Council, Dei Verbum §§7-10
Second Vatican Council, Dei Verbum §21
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