What does Jesus say in Scripture?
Listen to the Church.
But this begs the question, How can we trust Scripture?
We can trust the Scriptures because they are given to us by the Church.
Yes, this is a circular argument... so far.
(R.C. Sproul recognized this conundrum, saying, "The Bible is a fallible collection of infallible books.")
But Sproul was wrong. We can escape the circle.
First, begin with the uncontroversial assumption that the various biblical documents are simply historical documents. They are, by far, the most well-attested documents of their time.
From these documents we see that a man, claiming to be God, lived, died, and was presumably resurrected. He also claimed to have founded a Church, "the pillar and foundation of truth," against which the gates of hell would not prevail.
An examination of history shows that the Catholic Church has been in existence for almost 2000 years, with an unbroken line of leaders and a body of non-contradictory teaching --an incomparable historic institution. These facts accord with Christ's prophecy regarding His Church, lending credence to His claim of divinity, and the claim of the Catholic Church to be the Church that He founded.
Moreover, countless public miracles are associated with this institution, in evidence of divine superintendence.
Therefore, this institution can be trusted to have written, preserved and canonized Scripture authoritatively.
And we can trust the Church to teach us authoritatively regarding Sacred Tradition.
2 Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
Jesus does not tell everyone to *Listen to the church*.
It is not a command.
It does not give blanket authority over everyone every where to one organization that claims retroactively that it is the OTC which Jesus established.
The very Roman church that adds *sacred tradition* to Scripture? We’re supposed to trust THAT church when it doesn’t even follow the Scripture that it claims to have written?
No, I don’t trust the Catholic church. It’s history doesn’t give anybody an reason to consider it trustworthy.