1 John 2:19

1 John 2:19 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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 it might become plain that they all are not of us.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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 none of them were of us.

Context of 1 John 2:19

17The world is passing away, and with it its lusts [the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings]; but the one who does the will of God and carries out His purposes lives forever. 18Children, it is the last hour [the end of this age]; and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming [the one who will oppose Christ and attempt to replace Him], even now many antichrists (false teachers) have appeared, which confirms our belief that it is the last hour. They went out from us [seeming at first to be Christians], but they were not really of us [because they were not truly born again and spiritually transformed]; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out [teaching false doctrine], so that it would be clearly shown that none of them are of us. 20But you have an anointing from the Holy One [you have been set apart, specially gifted and prepared by the Holy Spirit], and all of you know [the truth because He teaches us, illuminates our minds, and guards us from error]. 21I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie [nothing false, no deception] is of the truth.

1 John 2:19 word by word

ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξῆλθαν ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἦσαν ἐξ ἡμῶν· εἰ γὰρ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἦσαν, μεμενήκεισαν ἂν μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν· ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα φανερωθῶσιν ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν πάντες ἐξ ἡμῶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They wentἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• out fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• they wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• they wouldἄνan · ifG302
• have continuedμένωmenō · to stayG3306
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• they might be made manifestφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956

Cross-references for 1 John 2:19

• Deuteronomy 13:13that some worthless and evil men have gone out from among you and have tempted the inhabitants of their city [to sin], saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known),
• Psalms 41:9Even my own close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me [betraying me].
• Matthew 13:20The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy;
• Mark 4:5Other seed fell on rocks where there was not much soil; and immediately a plant sprang up because the soil had no depth.
• Luke 8:13Those on the rocky soil are the people who, when they hear, receive and welcome the word with joy; but these have no firmly grounded root. They believe for a while, and in time of trial and temptation they fall away [from Me and abandon their faith].
• John 15:2Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit].
• Acts 15:24Since we have heard that some of our men have troubled you with their teachings, causing distress and confusion—men to whom we gave no such orders or instructions—
• Acts 20:30even from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse and distorted things, to draw away the disciples after themselves [as their followers].
• 2 Peter 2:20For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world by [personal] knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, their last condition has become worse for them than the first.
• Jude 1:19These are the ones who are [agitators] causing divisions—worldly-minded [secular, unspiritual, carnal, merely sensual—unsaved], devoid of the Spirit.
• Job 17:9Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
• Psalms 37:28For the Lord delights in justice And does not abandon His saints (faithful ones); They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will [in time] be cut off.
• Psalms 125:1Those who trust in and rely on the Lord [with confident expectation] Are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but remains forever.
• Jeremiah 32:38They will be My people, and I will be their God;
• Matthew 24:24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones).
• Mark 13:22for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will provide signs and wonders in order to deceive, if [such a thing were] possible, even the elect [those God has chosen for Himself].

Commentaries on 1 John 2:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19They 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19They went out from us - From the church. That is, they had once been professors of the religion of the Saviour, though their apostasy showed that they never had any true piety. John refers to the fact that they had once been in the church, perhaps to remind those to whom he wrote that they knew them well, and could readily appreciate their character. It was a humiliating statement that those who showed themselves to be so utterly opposed to religion had…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-23Verses 18-23 Every man is an antichrist, who denies the Person, or any of the offices of Christ; and in denying the Son, he denies the Father also, and has no part in his favour while he rejects his great salvation. Let this prophecy that seducers would rise in the Christian world, keep us from being seduced. The church knows not well who are its true members, and who are not, but thus true Christians were proved, and rendered more watchful and humble…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19They went out from us: This is John’s first clear statement about the false teachers. At one time, these teachers were part of the church community. They shared fellowship with John and with the other apostles. Later, they chose to leave that fellowship. They also formed a separate and exclusive group that followed false teachings about Jesus (see 4:1; 2 John 1:7; 3 John 1:9–10). none of them belonged to us: True Christians would have remained in…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. 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 (1Jo 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…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 2:19

• Hypocrisy
• Perseverance

In the dictionaries

• Acknowledge
• Advocate
• Lie
• Stumble
• Johannine Theology
• John, the Epistles of

Commentaries on 1 John 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings