Bereans contra Sola Scriptura

Protestants frequently use the account of the Bereans, in the book of Acts, to justify Sola Scriptura (aka Scripture alone). But that claim doesn't bear up under scrutiny.

First, a little context.

St. Luke, the author of the book of Acts, is recounting that which occurred as the Apostles fulfilled Our Lord's commission to go out and Teach the world, all which He commmanded. They would go from town to town, enter the Synagogue and teach the Sacred Tradition which Jesus had passed down. Then they would show the people where to find confirmation of these Christian Traditions in what we now call, the Old Testament. It wasn't the Old Testament, then. It was the only Testament. The Christian New Testament was not yet written. It was being passed down by word.

This strategy of comparing the Sacred Traditions to the Old Testament is basically what Jesus had done for the Apostles when they found Him on the road to Emmaus:

Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

This is what the Apostles tried to do at Thessalonica and the Thessalonicans ran them out of town. So, the Apostles took their show to Berea. And that is where we enter the scene.

Let’s look at the text.

Acts 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

The Scrutiny

First, ask yourself, “why were the Bereans more noble than the Thessalonicans? The answer is in the text:

in that they received the word with all readiness of mind,

You might ask me, “Which word? Scripture is also called the word.” The answer:

The word the Apostles preached.

You might continue, “How do you know it isn’t the Scripture?” The answer:

Because they already had that "word". But the text said they "received the "word". Therefore, it is a reference to the "word" the Apostles were teaching. And they searched in the Scriptural word to find the Apostles' word therein.

Here is what goes right past Protestants. They don’t even see it because of their presuppositions against the Traditions of Christ.

1st. The Apostles were Teaching. That is the Tradition we call “Magisterium”.
2nd. I repeat, the Apostles were Teaching. That means they were passing down the Traditions of Christ by Word. That is simply called, “Sacred Tradition”.
3rd. The Bereans looked up the Sacred Tradition, the word of the Apostles, in Scripture.

That is the Catholic Teaching of passing down the Faith of Jesus Christ by handing down Tradition, Scripture. It's called Magisterium or the Three Legged Stool. That is what is depicted in the Berean episode. Not Scripture alone.

95 "It is clear therefore that, in the supremely wise arrangement of God, sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the others. Working together, each in its own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls."