We Know the Protestant Reformation Went Out of the Catholic Church - But What Does 1 John 2:18-19 Say?

God's truth is revealed in Scripture, and 1 John 2:18-19 does not specifically refer to the Protestant Reformation, though it is applicable to any and all who have left the Catholic Church to pursue their own theological beliefs. The passage reads: "Little children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 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." In this passage, John is warning believers against false teachers and “antichrists” who are coming. He encourages believers to be watchful and discerning. He also says that they have “gone out from us,” which could be referring to the Protestant Reformation, which left the Catholic Church to pursue their own beliefs. Ultimately, this passage reminds us that we must be careful and discerning when it comes to what we believe and that we must be loyal to God and his Word above all else.