The Bible itself distinguishes between the Word of God transmitted in writing and that transmitted orally. It does not say that everything the Apostles taught was recorded in Scripture.
The Bible itself shows that apostolic teaching was not limited to what was written.
First, St. John affirms that not everything Jesus did was written down: “There are also many other things that Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (Jn 21:25).
Second, St. Paul explicitly commands the faithful to preserve both oral and written teachings: “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thess 2:15).
Third, St. John himself demonstrates that apostolic communication did not depend exclusively on letters: “Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink, but I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face” (2 Jn 12). And again: “I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink; I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face” (3 Jn 13–14).
Therefore, the Bible does not teach “Scripture alone.” It teaches the importance of faithfully preserving apostolic teaching, received both in writing and by word of mouth. This is in keeping with St. Paul's exhortation: “Hold fast to the traditions” (2 Thess 2:15).
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