1 John 2:19
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Those who departed showed by leaving that they never truly belonged to the fellowship.
What Does 1 John 2:19 Mean?
John explains the departure of the antichrists. They went out from the community, but they were never truly of it. Had they belonged, they would have remained. Their leaving made plain what was always the case: they were not really part of the fellowship.
Departure can be painful, but here it serves to clarify. Those who abandon the truth reveal where their hearts always lay. This is not said with bitterness but with sober realism. Genuine faith perseveres and abides. John writes so that his readers will not be shaken when some fall away, but will see in it a sifting that makes the truth manifest.