raven, you are asking questions assuming that bible alone, sola scriptura is true.
Jesus said it is finished, the apostles started the Church of God for the purpose of preaching the Gospel of Jesus, and he told us the truth.
Many of the Church doctrines say that Jesus did not tell us the truth. but i will not go into them as if you take the word of the Church doctrine above some very understandable words of Jesus it would be useless.
I answered your question, your questions to me ASSUME that the bible alone is a true doctrine (not mentioned anywhere in the bible of course, but thats as may be), my answer was that the HISTORY of the church shows an authorative teaching church built upon peter by Christ himself, to continue through his successors.
This church, along with the Sacred Tradtion and the word of God, all form a cohesive whole.
History shows that. There was no bible for over four hundred years after Christ ascended into heaven.
The Holy Spirit led the catholic church to put the books that Christ wanted, into one volume.....
Who do you think was teaching the faith from the time of the ascension to the time the bible was put together????
Ask yourself, ‘hmmm, was i there two thousand years ago, or were there others there at the time who witnessed and taught the faith in the first few centuries....and wrote down the history’.....
If you choose not to investigate history, that is your loss.