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Adopted said:
PS -You're not fooling me, I know you laying in wait like a crouched tiger.
[Linked Image] 'Tis not true!!

Well, I can't accept nor follow your "logic"; i.e., the leader of the Roman Catholic Church is the successor of the Emperor of ancient Rome. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratch1.gif" alt="" /> There have been many throughout history who have claimed to be God's representative on earth, even Christ Himself. Secondly, the Apostle John never said that the Emperor of Rome was THE antichrist; who was a figure of the one who is to come, and who will be the epitome of all the former "types" of antichrists who preceded him. Again, I have no problem seeing the Roman Pontiff as "one" of the many antichrists:

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1 John 2:18-19 (ASV) "Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us."
Notice that John does not state that the Emperor of Rome was THE antichrist, but rather that he was yet to come some time in the future. Yet he affirms that there were many antichrists scurrying about in his day. Secondly, it is important to note that all of these antichrists were at one time members of the Church; "they went out from us, i.e., they apostatized from the faith. This would also eliminate the Emperor or Rome as being THE antichrist or even being one of the many antichrists of John's day. Thus, my reason(s) for rejecting your premise. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

In His Grace,

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simul iustus et peccator

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