1 John 2:19
Verse
Context
Beware of Antichrists
18Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.
Sermons
William MacDonald
Ray Brubaker
Jeff Noblit
Philip Powell
Zac Poonen
Mariano Di Gangi
T. Austin-SparksSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
They went out from us - These heretics had belonged to our Christian assemblies, they professed Christianity, and do so still; but we apostles did not commission them to preach to you, for they have disgraced the Divine doctrine with the most pernicious opinions; they have given up or explained away its most essential principles; they have mingled the rest with heathenish rites and Jewish glosses. While, therefore, we acknowledge that they once belonged to us, we assert that they are not of us. They are not Christians; we abhor their conduct and their creed. We never sent them to teach. They were not of us - For a considerable time before they left our assemblies they gave proofs that they had departed from the faith; for if they had been of us - if they had been apostles, and continued in the firm belief of the Christian doctrines, they would not have departed from us to form a sect of themselves. That they were not all of us - They were not expelled from the Christian Church; they were not sent out by us; but they separated from it and us. None of them had been inspired as we apostles were, though they pretended to a very high teaching; but their separating from us manifested that they were not taught, as we were, by the Spirit of God. These false teachers probably drew many sincere souls away with them; and to this it is probable the apostle alludes when he says, they were not All of us. Some were; others were not.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
out from us--from our Christian communion. Not necessarily a formal secession or going out: thus Rome has spiritually gone out, though formally still of the Christian Church. not of us--by spiritual fellowship (Jo1 1:3). "They are like bad humors in the body of Christ, the Church: when they are vomited out, then the body is relieved; the body of Christ is now still under treatment, and has not yet attained the perfect soundness which it shall have only at the resurrection" [AUGUSTINE, Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Homily 3.4]. they would . . . have continued--implying the indefectibility of grace in the elect. "Where God's call is effectual, there will be sure perseverance" [CALVIN]. Still, it is no fatal necessity, but a "voluntary necessity" [DIDYMUS], which causes men to remain, or else go from the body of Christ. "We are either among the members, or else among the bad humors. It is of his own will that each is either an Antichrist, or in Christ" [AUGUSTINE]. Still God's actings in eternal election harmonize in a way inexplicable to us, with man's free agency and responsibility. It is men's own evil will that chooses the way to hell; it is God's free and sovereign grace that draws any to Himself and to heaven. To God the latter shall ascribe wholly their salvation from first to last: the former shall reproach themselves alone, and not God's decree, with their condemnation (Jo1 3:9; Jo1 5:18). that they were not all of us--This translation would imply that some of the Antichrists are of us! Translate, therefore, "that all (who are for a time among us) are not of us." Compare Co1 11:19, "There must be heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you." For "were" some of the oldest manuscripts read "are." Such occasions test who are, and who are not, the Lord's people.
John Gill Bible Commentary
They went out from us,.... Which intends not the persons that went down from Judea to Antioch, Act 15:1, who preached destructive doctrines to the Gentiles, which the apostles and the church of Judea disowned and censured; by which it appeared, that all the preachers of these doctrines were not of them, and of the same mind with them: for this sense makes these antichrists to be only preachers; whereas, though many of them might be such, yet not all; for whoever, in a private capacity denied the Father and the Son, or that Christ was come in the flesh, was antichrist; and to these private believers are opposed in Jo1 2:20; and it also makes the "us" to be the apostles, whereas they were all dead but John; and these antichrists were men that had risen up then in the last time, and therefore could not, with propriety, be said to go out from the apostles; besides, whenever the apostle uses this pronoun "us", he includes with himself all true believers, and may more especially here intend the churches of Asia; or rather the members of the church at Ephesus, where he was; nor is it likely he should have in view the church of Judea, and a case in which that was concerned near forty years ago: moreover, such a sense makes the going out to be merely local and corporeal, and which is in itself not criminal; the persons that went from Judea to Antioch were not blamable for going thither, nor for going out from the apostles thither, but for troubling the disciples with words, to the subverting of their souls; nor was a corporeal departure from the apostles any evidence of not being of the same mind with them; for they often departed one from other, yet continued of the same mind, and in the same faith: but the sense is, that there were some persons in the Apostle John's time, who had made a profession of religion, were members of the church, and some of them perhaps preachers, and yet they departed from the faith, and dropped their profession of it, and withdrew themselves from the church, or churches to which they belonged, and set up separate assemblies of their own: but they were not of us: they were of the church, and of the same mind with it, at least in profession, antecedent to their going out; for had they not been in communion with the church, they could not be properly said to go out of it; and if they had not been of the same mind and faith in profession, they could not be said to depart from it; but they were not truly regenerated by the grace of God, and so apparently were not of the number, of God's elect: notwithstanding their profession and communion with the church, they were of the world, and not of God; they were not true believers; they had not that anointing which abides, and from which persons are truly denominated Christians, or anointed ones: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; in the doctrine of the apostles, and in the fellowship of the church, as true believers do: if their hearts had been right with God, they would have remained steadfast to him, his Gospel, truths, and ordinances, and faithful with his saints; for such who are truly regenerate are born of an incorruptible seed, and those that have received the anointing which makes them truly Christians, that abides, as does every true grace, faith, hope, and love; and such who are truly God's elect cannot possibly fall into such errors and heresies as these did, and be finally deceived, as they were: but they went out; "they went out from us", so the Syriac version reads; that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us; the word "all" is left out in the Syriac version. The defection and apostasy of these persons were permitted by God, that it might appear they had never received the grace of God in truth; and their going out was in such a manner, that it was a certain argument that they were not of the elect; since they became antichrists, denied the deity or sonship of Christ, or that he was come in the flesh, or that he was the Christ, and therefore are said to be of the world, and not of God, 1Jo_2:22, so that this passage furnishes out no argument against the saints' perseverance, which is confirmed in Jo1 2:20.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
2:19 These people left our churches: This is John’s first direct statement about the false teachers. At one point, they had been part of the church community, in fellowship with John and the other apostles. Then they left that fellowship and evidently formed a separate, exclusive community based on their false teachings about Jesus (see 4:1; 2 Jn 1:7; 3 Jn 1:9-10). • they never really belonged with us: True believers would have stayed in fellowship with the apostles and remained faithful to their teachings.
1 John 2:19
Beware of Antichrists
18Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Test of Life
By William MacDonald1.4K46:19LifeMAT 6:331JN 2:121JN 2:19In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of raising children for God rather than for worldly ambitions. He highlights the spiritual well-being of children as a priority, rather than their worldly success. The preacher also discusses the emptiness of worldly pursuits and the need for a relationship with Christ to find true fulfillment. He warns against the influence of television and other worldly distractions that can negatively impact one's spiritual life. Additionally, the preacher shares a personal anecdote about the value of simplicity and humility in following Jesus.
Is America Dying?
By Ray Brubaker1.1K13:05AmericaLUK 8:13LUK 12:35JHN 3:5JHN 6:631JN 2:191JN 5:12REV 2:4The sermon transcript discusses the phenomenon of people professing faith in Jesus Christ but then drifting away from their faith. The speaker emphasizes the importance of true repentance, daily seeking the Lord's help, and reading the Bible faithfully to maintain a strong faith. The sermon also highlights the spiritual decline in America and the need for a revival. The speaker urges listeners to be born again through faith in Christ and to live for Him daily.
Apostasy and the Unpardonable State
By Jeff Noblit1.0K47:47MAT 6:33HEB 6:4HEB 10:251JN 2:19In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of apostasy, which is a willful purpose and pattern of sin. He emphasizes the importance of preaching against sin, guilt, and judgment, as it is the work of the Spirit to convict the world of these things. The preacher expresses concern about the prevalence of minimizing or excluding these topics in some churches, which he believes goes against the work of the Spirit and hinders the growth of the church. He also highlights the significance of the gospel as the means of grace, explaining that turning away from Christ in the gospel renounces the means by which God extends His grace to us.
Knowing Christ Pt 5
By Philip Powell90749:461JN 1:81JN 2:191JN 2:291JN 3:4In this sermon, the speaker criticizes Rick Warren's preaching and argues that he misses the true essence of Christianity. The speaker believes that Warren's emphasis on finding purpose in life is misguided, as the true motivation for Christians should not be to be influential or successful. The speaker also mentions another preacher, Jake, who has a large congregation but denies the Trinity. The speaker warns against getting carried away by charismatic speakers and emphasizes the importance of abiding in Christ as the true source of motivation and fruitfulness.
The Word of the Cross Tests People
By Zac Poonen6611:03:071JN 2:19
This sermon emphasizes the importance of embracing the message of the cross, which involves dying to self daily and following Jesus wholeheartedly. It warns about the presence of antichrists who oppose this message and the need to abide in Christ to be ready for His return. The speaker highlights the division caused by the message of the cross, leading some to boldly embrace it and others to shrink away in shame. The urgency of the last hour and the significance of choosing the way of the cross are emphasized to prepare believers for the coming of Christ.
I John - the Antichrist
By Mariano Di Gangi63420:29AntichristJHN 4:23JHN 8:32JHN 14:6JHN 17:172CO 4:41JN 2:191JN 2:27In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of being enlightened by the Holy Spirit to discern between truth and falsehood. The perspicuity of Scripture is highlighted, which means that even a child can understand the essential truths of the Gospel with the help of the Spirit. The speaker warns against separating oneself from the Christian community, as it indicates a lack of true belonging and inheritance in the kingdom of God. The sermon concludes by emphasizing the need to acknowledge and embrace the truth of the Gospel, to discern and reject falsehood, and to trust in Jesus Christ for reconciliation with the Father.
The Conflict (Continued)
By T. Austin-Sparks0Spiritual WarfareNature of the ChurchHAG 2:6ZEC 4:6MAT 16:18EPH 6:111JN 2:19T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes the true nature of the Church as a spiritual relatedness and active functional unity among the children of God, highlighting that mere possession of life is insufficient without functioning as a cohesive body. He warns against the dangers of becoming entangled in unscriptural systems and stresses the importance of maintaining a spiritual position grounded in the Lordship of Christ. The sermon addresses the conflict faced by the Church against opposing forces of evil, asserting that the Church must operate collectively to confront these challenges. Sparks encourages believers to recognize their interdependence and the necessity of corporate action in overcoming spiritual frustration and opposition. Ultimately, he calls for a renewed commitment to the life of Christ within the Church as the key to fulfilling its divine purpose.
Oneness
By H.J. Vine0JHN 10:24JHN 17:21ROM 16:251CO 12:21EPH 2:51JN 2:191JN 3:141JN 4:7H.J. Vine preaches on the importance of unity among believers, emphasizing the desire for oneness that stems from the divine nature and the love of God. He highlights the need for sincere and practical love for one another, rooted in God's love, to experience true oneness. The sermon delves into the concept of oneness according to God's truth, maintained by the Spirit and the Son, and the significance of inclusiveness within the one body of Christ. It warns against exclusivity and the dangers of legalism and lawlessness that hinder the unity of believers.
John 11:53 to End. Christ Retires to Ephraim.
By Favell Lee Mortimer0PSA 26:6PRO 1:10MAT 26:3JHN 2:23JHN 10:39JHN 11:49JHN 12:12JHN 13:1EPH 2:81JN 2:19Favell Lee Mortimer preaches about the wicked suggestion of Caiaphas leading to the plot to put Jesus to death, emphasizing the guilt of those who propose evil schemes and the consequences of acting on such suggestions. Despite the enemies' plans, Jesus, who knew all things, retreated to Ephraim for a time of intimate fellowship with His disciples. Meanwhile, the Jews gathered for the Passover in Jerusalem, appearing religious outwardly but lacking true spiritual worship. The people's fickle enthusiasm for Jesus reveals the danger of a faith that crumbles under trial and a love easily extinguished by criticism.
A Letter on Separation
By John Nelson Darby0Church UnitySeparationMAT 18:20ROM 16:171CO 11:192CO 6:14GAL 1:6EPH 4:31TH 5:21HEB 10:251JN 2:19REV 18:4John Nelson Darby emphasizes the critical nature of separation within the church, arguing that leaving an assembly that falsely claims to represent the church is necessary to maintain the truth of God's testimony. He warns against the dangers of remaining in a body that does not reflect the Spirit of God, as it can lead to a loss of blessing and spiritual integrity. Darby acknowledges the complexity of situations where evil persists within a church, stressing that true unity must not be a cover for wrongdoing. He concludes that while separation may be painful, it is sometimes essential for spiritual health and obedience to God. Ultimately, he encourages prayer for those who remain in such assemblies, hoping for their restoration through God's grace.
Jesus the One Who Makes Free Indeed John 8:25-47
By R.A. Torrey0True FreedomDiscipleshipMAT 5:45JHN 1:12JHN 7:17JHN 8:32JHN 8:36ROM 10:102TH 2:101PE 2:221JN 2:191JN 3:22R.A. Torrey emphasizes that Jesus is the source of true freedom, urging believers to recognize their need for Him to escape the bondage of sin. He discusses the importance of genuine faith that leads to true discipleship, highlighting that merely believing in Jesus is not enough; one must abide in His Word to know the truth and be set free. Torrey contrasts the children of God with the children of the devil, illustrating that true followers of Christ will love Him and hear His words, while those who reject Him are enslaved by sin. The sermon calls for self-examination regarding one's relationship with Jesus and the necessity of accepting His teachings to experience true liberation.
Discipline in the Church
By William MacDonald0Church DisciplineHoliness in the ChurchMAT 18:15ROM 16:171CO 5:11GAL 6:11TH 4:31TH 5:142TH 3:11TIT 3:101PE 4:171JN 2:19William MacDonald emphasizes the necessity of discipline within the church, arguing that prevention through godly living and systematic Bible teaching is crucial for maintaining the church's integrity. He outlines the purposes of discipline, which include exposing unregenerate members and restoring erring believers, and describes various degrees of discipline as prescribed in the New Testament. MacDonald stresses that discipline should be administered with meekness and impartiality, and that it is a collective responsibility of the church rather than an individual act. He concludes that the church must act decisively against sin to uphold its character as a representation of God's holiness.
The Almost Christian
By Thomas Reade0MAT 7:21JHN 3:3ROM 8:92CO 5:17GAL 5:6EPH 2:8PHP 1:6JAS 2:171PE 1:151JN 2:19Thomas Reade preaches about the danger of being an 'almost Christian', emphasizing the importance of genuine faith and spiritual transformation. He warns against outward profession without true conversion, highlighting the necessity of self-examination and the internal work of grace in the heart. Reade stresses that without the Spirit of Christ and being born again, all religious activities and knowledge of Scripture are in vain, leading to a state of 'almost Christianity' that lacks true faith and love for God.
Day 233, 1 John 2
By David Servant0JHN 13:351JN 1:91JN 2:11JN 2:161JN 2:191JN 2:221JN 2:29David Servant preaches on the three tests of authentic conversion highlighted by John in his first epistle: moral, social, and theological. True Christians are called to practice righteousness, demonstrate unselfish love for fellow believers, and believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Jesus serves as our Advocate before God, offering His sufferings as the ground for our acquittal and being the propitiation for our sins, appeasing God's wrath. John emphasizes the importance of keeping God's commandments, abiding in Jesus, and walking as He walked as evidence of true faith.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
They went out from us - These heretics had belonged to our Christian assemblies, they professed Christianity, and do so still; but we apostles did not commission them to preach to you, for they have disgraced the Divine doctrine with the most pernicious opinions; they have given up or explained away its most essential principles; they have mingled the rest with heathenish rites and Jewish glosses. While, therefore, we acknowledge that they once belonged to us, we assert that they are not of us. They are not Christians; we abhor their conduct and their creed. We never sent them to teach. They were not of us - For a considerable time before they left our assemblies they gave proofs that they had departed from the faith; for if they had been of us - if they had been apostles, and continued in the firm belief of the Christian doctrines, they would not have departed from us to form a sect of themselves. That they were not all of us - They were not expelled from the Christian Church; they were not sent out by us; but they separated from it and us. None of them had been inspired as we apostles were, though they pretended to a very high teaching; but their separating from us manifested that they were not taught, as we were, by the Spirit of God. These false teachers probably drew many sincere souls away with them; and to this it is probable the apostle alludes when he says, they were not All of us. Some were; others were not.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
out from us--from our Christian communion. Not necessarily a formal secession or going out: thus Rome has spiritually gone out, though formally still of the Christian Church. not of us--by spiritual fellowship (Jo1 1:3). "They are like bad humors in the body of Christ, the Church: when they are vomited out, then the body is relieved; the body of Christ is now still under treatment, and has not yet attained the perfect soundness which it shall have only at the resurrection" [AUGUSTINE, Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Homily 3.4]. they would . . . have continued--implying the indefectibility of grace in the elect. "Where God's call is effectual, there will be sure perseverance" [CALVIN]. Still, it is no fatal necessity, but a "voluntary necessity" [DIDYMUS], which causes men to remain, or else go from the body of Christ. "We are either among the members, or else among the bad humors. It is of his own will that each is either an Antichrist, or in Christ" [AUGUSTINE]. Still God's actings in eternal election harmonize in a way inexplicable to us, with man's free agency and responsibility. It is men's own evil will that chooses the way to hell; it is God's free and sovereign grace that draws any to Himself and to heaven. To God the latter shall ascribe wholly their salvation from first to last: the former shall reproach themselves alone, and not God's decree, with their condemnation (Jo1 3:9; Jo1 5:18). that they were not all of us--This translation would imply that some of the Antichrists are of us! Translate, therefore, "that all (who are for a time among us) are not of us." Compare Co1 11:19, "There must be heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you." For "were" some of the oldest manuscripts read "are." Such occasions test who are, and who are not, the Lord's people.
John Gill Bible Commentary
They went out from us,.... Which intends not the persons that went down from Judea to Antioch, Act 15:1, who preached destructive doctrines to the Gentiles, which the apostles and the church of Judea disowned and censured; by which it appeared, that all the preachers of these doctrines were not of them, and of the same mind with them: for this sense makes these antichrists to be only preachers; whereas, though many of them might be such, yet not all; for whoever, in a private capacity denied the Father and the Son, or that Christ was come in the flesh, was antichrist; and to these private believers are opposed in Jo1 2:20; and it also makes the "us" to be the apostles, whereas they were all dead but John; and these antichrists were men that had risen up then in the last time, and therefore could not, with propriety, be said to go out from the apostles; besides, whenever the apostle uses this pronoun "us", he includes with himself all true believers, and may more especially here intend the churches of Asia; or rather the members of the church at Ephesus, where he was; nor is it likely he should have in view the church of Judea, and a case in which that was concerned near forty years ago: moreover, such a sense makes the going out to be merely local and corporeal, and which is in itself not criminal; the persons that went from Judea to Antioch were not blamable for going thither, nor for going out from the apostles thither, but for troubling the disciples with words, to the subverting of their souls; nor was a corporeal departure from the apostles any evidence of not being of the same mind with them; for they often departed one from other, yet continued of the same mind, and in the same faith: but the sense is, that there were some persons in the Apostle John's time, who had made a profession of religion, were members of the church, and some of them perhaps preachers, and yet they departed from the faith, and dropped their profession of it, and withdrew themselves from the church, or churches to which they belonged, and set up separate assemblies of their own: but they were not of us: they were of the church, and of the same mind with it, at least in profession, antecedent to their going out; for had they not been in communion with the church, they could not be properly said to go out of it; and if they had not been of the same mind and faith in profession, they could not be said to depart from it; but they were not truly regenerated by the grace of God, and so apparently were not of the number, of God's elect: notwithstanding their profession and communion with the church, they were of the world, and not of God; they were not true believers; they had not that anointing which abides, and from which persons are truly denominated Christians, or anointed ones: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; in the doctrine of the apostles, and in the fellowship of the church, as true believers do: if their hearts had been right with God, they would have remained steadfast to him, his Gospel, truths, and ordinances, and faithful with his saints; for such who are truly regenerate are born of an incorruptible seed, and those that have received the anointing which makes them truly Christians, that abides, as does every true grace, faith, hope, and love; and such who are truly God's elect cannot possibly fall into such errors and heresies as these did, and be finally deceived, as they were: but they went out; "they went out from us", so the Syriac version reads; that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us; the word "all" is left out in the Syriac version. The defection and apostasy of these persons were permitted by God, that it might appear they had never received the grace of God in truth; and their going out was in such a manner, that it was a certain argument that they were not of the elect; since they became antichrists, denied the deity or sonship of Christ, or that he was come in the flesh, or that he was the Christ, and therefore are said to be of the world, and not of God, 1Jo_2:22, so that this passage furnishes out no argument against the saints' perseverance, which is confirmed in Jo1 2:20.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
2:19 These people left our churches: This is John’s first direct statement about the false teachers. At one point, they had been part of the church community, in fellowship with John and the other apostles. Then they left that fellowship and evidently formed a separate, exclusive community based on their false teachings about Jesus (see 4:1; 2 Jn 1:7; 3 Jn 1:9-10). • they never really belonged with us: True believers would have stayed in fellowship with the apostles and remained faithful to their teachings.