1 John 2:19 - Their Going Showed That They Were Not One Of Us To Begin With.

1 John 2:19; Their Going Showed That They Were Not One Of Us To 
Begin With. 

TEXT AND PARAPHRASE

1 John 2:19 (KJV)  They went out from us, but they were not of 
us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued 
with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that 
they were not all of us.  

1 John 2:19 (NLT)  These people left our churches, but they 
never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with 
us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.  

1 John 2:19 (MSG)  They left us, but they were never really with 
us. If they had been, they would have stuck it out with us, loyal to 
the end. In leaving, they showed their true colors, showed they 
never did belong.  

WORD STUDY

"Went out from us," i.e. doctrinally. [Scofield SB]

When the false teachers went out from among the believers, they 
revealed that they did not belong to the Christian community; they were 
never true believers. [Nelson SB] 

Were not of us. They had not experienced genuine repentance and 
at heart never truly belonged to the church. Doubtless, however, 
they had convinced themselves that their false teachings concerning 
the nature of Christ were true. [SDA Commentary] 

Continued. "to abide," Had the departed members truly belonged 
to the church they would have remained with it and shared in its 
spirit. Their departure proved the weakness of their connection with 
Christ and the church. [SDA Commentary] 

Made manifest. While the false teachers remained within the 
church it was not easy for the faithful to discern their true 
character. But when they left the church their heresy was revealed, and it 
became evident that they had never truly belonged to Christ. [SDA 
Commentary] 

They were not all of us. Rather, "they all were not of us." The 
Greek makes clear that, at heart, none of the apostates ever really 
belonged to the church. [SDA Commentary] 

APPLICATION COMMENTARY

This verse provides further insight concerning the false 
teachers ("antichrists," v. 18) who were troubling the church. John 
reaches several conclusions about their departure from the Christian 
community. (1) They were never really a part "of us." Even though they had 
publicly identified with the church, this association was merely 
superficial. (2) If they had experienced genuine regeneration, they would 
have continued in the faith. Genuine Christians carry on in the faith 
(cf. 2 John 9). (3) In their departure from the church, they 
demonstrated that they had lacked saving faith all along. [Believer's SB] 

The antichrists were not total strangers to the church; they 
once had been in the church, but they did not really belong to it. 
John does not say why they left; it is clear that their reasons for 
joining in the first place were wrong. Some people may call themselves 
Christians for less than the best reasons. Perhaps going to church is a 
family tradition. Maybe they like the social and business contacts they 
make there. Or possibly going to church is a long-standing habit, and 
they have never stopped to ask themselves why they do it. What is 
your main reason for being a Christian? Unless it is a 
Christ-centered reason, you may not really belong. [Life Application SB] 

John is talking about the last days, the time between Christ's 
first and second comings. The first-century readers of 1 John lived in 
the last days, and so do we. During this time, antichrists (false 
teachers who pretend to be Christians and who lure weak members away from 
Christ) will appear.... We do not need to fear these evil people, however. 
The Holy Spirit shows us their errors, so we will not be deceived. 
However, we must teach God's Word clearly and carefully to the 
peripheral, weak members among us so that they won't fall prey to these 
teachers who "come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are 
ferocious wolves" (Matthew 7:15). [Life Application SB] 

John did believe that in the future a specific individiual, the 
Antichrist, would appear. John also believed that false Christians who even 
then were seeking to lead believers astray were antichrists: enemies 
of Jesus and the Father.... We know two things about antichrists from 
this passage. We know that they were once members of the church, but 
"went out from us." They set up their own splinter movements.... Not 
everyone who calls himself a Christian is one. In time, however, such 
folks reveal themselves, by causing schism in the church,. [The 
365-Day Devotional Commentary] 

The elect are persons who walk in the light as Jesus did. The 
antichrists are contrary in their walk, which leads them out from the elect 
because they never belonged to the elect in the first place. The Holy 
Spirit's anointing of the elect enables them to be genuine about their 
election commitment. [Disciple SB] 

Love for our brothers and sisters and confession of Jesus as the 
Messiah are positive proofs of salvation. Love of the world, its values, 
and its ways shows we have not trusted God and do not belong to Him. 
[Disciple SB] 

CLOSING THOUGHTS

God's good world which He created for people is continually 
harassed by those who are against Christ. These opponents of Christ 
sometimes are found even in the professing Christian community. Rather 
than focus on some distant "antichrist," John warned the people to be 
concerned about the present evil pretenders who would lead them astray. In 
every generation evil infiltrates society. [Disciple SB] 

You also have some enemies (vv. 15-27), the world and the false 
teachers. Christians who love the world lose the enjoyment of the Father's 
love and the desire to do His will. We overcome the world with God's 
love and the liars with God's truth (vv. 24-27). [Chapter by Chapter 
Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe]