EdwardsianBot
Puritan Board Freshman
According to the WCF 17.1, those who are in the faith "neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace". I understand this to mean that believers can somewhat fall during their life, but not at the end of it, and I know Peter and David can serve as examples of believers who "temporarily" fell.
However, my confusion comes from the fact that 1 John 2:19 states: "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." Taken at face value, this would appear to contradict at least the WCF (I don't think the "leaving" that 1 John 2:19 is describing applies to what Peter and David did, so it doesn't appear to contradict Scripture itself)
So is 1 John 2:19 affirming that those who apostatize were never in the faith to begin with? If so, does this contradict WCF 17.1?
Or is it possible that John was describing that specific situation with the false teachers in the church? (I think R.C. mentions that possibility in his teaching series "Eternal Security")
However, my confusion comes from the fact that 1 John 2:19 states: "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." Taken at face value, this would appear to contradict at least the WCF (I don't think the "leaving" that 1 John 2:19 is describing applies to what Peter and David did, so it doesn't appear to contradict Scripture itself)
So is 1 John 2:19 affirming that those who apostatize were never in the faith to begin with? If so, does this contradict WCF 17.1?
Or is it possible that John was describing that specific situation with the false teachers in the church? (I think R.C. mentions that possibility in his teaching series "Eternal Security")