1 John 2:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

That is, although they were disciples, they fell away from the truth and invented their own blasphemies. They were not of us, that is, not of the portion of those being saved. Otherwise they would have remained in union with their own. But now they have gone out from us so that it might become manifest that they have become wholly alien to us. Among them there are also some who were not from us, but to whom those who went out from us attached themselves. It was for their sake that the Apostle said: not all are of us.

Therefore the Apostle says, “but they were not of us.” Such was Simon Magus, whom the Apostle Philip baptized (Acts 8:9-25). Such was Nicolas, appointed by the Apostles as a deacon (Acts 6:5).

Such were Hymenaeus and Philetus, who had been in the company of Christians (2 Tim 2:17-18), and Cerinthus, who had previously seemed to belong to the number of the faithful.

“For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.” If, according to the foreknowledge and predestination of God, they had belonged to the true members of Christ’s Church, they would have remained among the faithful.

No temptation and no scandal would have shaken them in the true faith. Even if, through weakness, they had fallen for a time, they would have risen again through sincere repentance.

“God is faithful,” Paul teaches, “who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor 10:13).

But the heretics were not wheat appointed for the eternal granary. They were tares among the wheat. Therefore the wind of temptations carried them beyond the bounds of Christ’s threshing floor, out from the Orthodox Church.

“But they went out, that it might be made manifest that they all are not of us.” They separated from the Church of Christ before the predestined separation of the righteous and sinners at Christ’s last judgment.

Then Christ the Master of the house will gather His wheat into the granary, but will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire (Mt 3:12).

“They went out from us.” This was permitted so that it might be made manifest that not all visible Christians are true Christians. Not all who confess the Orthodox faith and approach the saving mysteries are sound members of the body of Christ’s Church.

Some, according to the word of the Gospel parable, believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away (Lk 8:13). They never again return to the bosom of the holy Church.

This dread lot belongs especially to heretics who have fallen away from the Orthodox faith and stubbornly remain in unbelief or false belief (Heb 6:4-8).

“And by this it was made manifest that they all are not of us.” Why was this necessary? Why, according to the ordering of divine providence, are unbelievers and false teachers revealed from among the faithful?

So that the faithful members of Christ’s Church may know whom they must beware, lest they imperceptibly fall into the nets of their impiety.

It is also so that the faithful, knowing that not all who visibly remain in the Church belong among the elect predestined to receive eternal life (Mt 7:22-23), may nourish within themselves the spirit of humility.

Thus, watching unceasingly, they may work out their salvation with fear, lest by negligence and carelessness they fall into grievous temptation and be deprived of the portion of the elect.

Thus they were not Jews or pagans by faith, but Christians. But they were not of us. Thus they belonged to the Church only outwardly. Inwardly they were not in it, but outside it. Perhaps they imagined that they inwardly belonged to the body of the Church, as happens with false teachers. Yet they deceived themselves in this. It became evident when they went out from the Church, that is, when the Church did not receive them into herself but rejected or expelled them. If they had truly belonged to the Church, they certainly would have remained faithful to the Church. No fall, no temptation, no trial would have shaken them in faith and attachment to the Church. If they had fallen through weakness, they would have risen by strength. But they went out. They separated from the Church, and they separated in such a way that they rose up against Christ and became antichrists. This testifies to their opposition to Christ and the Church. Thus it was shown that not all are of us. Not all visible Christians are true Christians. There are people who, from being venerators of Christ, have become antichrists. "Where are these antichrists from? They are from us. Why then are antichrists from the disciples of the Lord? So that they may have credibility with those being deceived. The deceived are meant to think that, since they are from among the disciples, they preach teaching according to the Teacher's thoughts. They are not to appear completely opposed to His preaching. Therefore he says: from us. They went out, that is, although they were disciples, they fell away from the truth and invented their own blasphemies. They were not of us, that is, not from the number of those being saved. Otherwise they would have remained in union with their own. But now they have done this so that it might be revealed, that is, so that it might become clear that they have become wholly alien to us. Among them there are also some who were not from us, but to whom those who went out from us attached themselves. For their sake I said that not all are of us" (Theophylact). How and why is this so? Evidently, according to God's fore-election and foreknowledge, the false teachers of whom the Apostle speaks were not, to use an image, wheat appointed for the eternal granary. They were tares among the wheat, which the devil sowed in Christ's field. Therefore the wind, or whirlwind, of temptations carried them beyond the boundaries of Christ's threshing floor, out of the Church (cf. Mt 13:36-47 and note).

"For if they had been of us," the Apostle adds, "they would have remained with us." Any falls through weakness would not have separated them from the Church in faith and conviction. "But they went out, and by this it was revealed that not all are of us" (1 Jn 2:19). By this the Apostle instills special caution and fear before those most dangerous enemies of the Church who hide in her very depths, hypocritically covering themselves with the Christian name. This is also done by fidelity to what was heard from the beginning, and by obedience to the inner voice of the anointing from the Holy One.

One need only abide in the teaching taught by "this anointing." Therefore the Apostle, without entering into details, indicates only the surest and most decisive sign of false teaching. "Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son." In other words, the liar, or false teacher and antichrist in the general sense, is the one who denies or distorts the teaching about the divine or human nature of Jesus Christ. Such a one does not confess that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Son of God and Savior of the world, the God-man, consubstantial with God the Father. The Apostle's expression has such a form that this is not merely a liar, but the liar above all: "Who is a liar, if not the one who denies?" There may be liars of various kinds, who deny or distort one teaching or another, one dogma or another. But whoever denies or distorts the fundamental and essentially important teaching about the God-manhood of Jesus Christ, the teaching that forms the chief stone in the building of the Church, is the liar above all. He is, as it were, the liar of liars, antichrist, or a son of antichrist.