The purpose of the Inquisition was to root out dissenters, then called heretics, as they challenged the established doctrines of the church. Claiming to be working for the purity of the faith, in reality they were working for the imposition of church dogma on the common people. In this, Catholic leaders were moderately successful, until they crushed the rebellions of the Lollards and the Taborites. That was the last straw. The spirit of the Reformation finally burst forth with Martin Luther, Philipp Melanchthon, Ulric Zwingli,  William Farel, John Calvin, and others, and this time it could not be stopped.

That much is common knowledge. What does the Inquisition have to do with the Roman Catholic church being the antichrist? Actually, nothing. That was just an outward expression of a more serious inner problem.

The Inquisition was wrong. Faith has got to be a personal, voluntary thing. Coerced “faith” is not faith at all. Trying to keep the faith pure by killing heretics is no better with Catholics than it is with the Muslims killing their “infidels.” Both are inspired by Satan, who wants to kill anyone with any level of true, inner faith.

Satan, the Adversary, has always tried to kill those of true faith. That does not make him (or those inspired by him) the antichrist. Sure, Satan is against Christ – anyone who is not in willing submission to Christ is against Christ. There is no middle ground here. But the antichrist has certain key characteristics according to Scripture which puts him beyond all that. The antichrist sets himself in place of Christ, as if he himself were Christ, the only mediator between God and mankind.

Scripture affirms that, “There is one …mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim 2:5) and that, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” (Rom 10:9) That’s it. It’s really very simple. Even a child can do it. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and even that [salvation] not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship…” (Eph 2:8-10)

Page 2 of 4 All Pages