George Warnock — Ecclesiology
b2 — Evening and Morning
Church as Living Organism — Subject to Change
In the preface of Evening and Morning Warnock formulates a core ecclesiological principle: the structure of the church is not static but a living growth process:
“the structure of His Church is just as much an outgrowth of the Law of Life (and therefore just as much subject to change), as is the case in any other living thing that He has created. If there is LIFE, then there must needs be GROWTH, and CHANGE, and TRANSFORMATION—otherwise God’s purpose in imparting that life has not been fulfilled.” — George H. Warnock, Evening and Morning, Preface
“God is doing a NEW THING in the earth, and man’s attempt to re-establish some religious structure of the past, useful as it may have been in another day, is vain and futile.” — Preface
Interpretation: Warnock explicitly opposes the restoration of historical church structures as an end in itself. The church is a living organism, not an institution to be reconstructed.
Church in a New Phase — The 42nd Generation
Warnock describes the church as standing at the threshold of a new phase, comparable to Israel on the plains of Moab before the entry into Canaan:
“To men of foresight and understanding it is quite evident that the Church of Jesus Christ is about to enter into a new phase of life and truth in this the most critical hour of her long history.” — chap. 1
“Here we stand like Israel on the plains of Moab, having known the direct leading of the Lord throughout these 41 encampments, but not having gone anywhere. But the 42nd generation is about to make her 42nd encampment—under the leadership of our Joshua!” — chap. 2
“So the Church of Jesus Christ from its inception in the beginning until this day has not really gone anywhere. We may talk as we will about our warfare, our conquests, our victories, our blessing—let us face the facts. We, as a Church, have not made any real progress in the conquest of the world.” — chap. 2
Interpretation: Warnock reads church history (from the Reformation through Methodism to Pentecostalism) as preparatory “wilderness journeys,” and anticipates a definitive victory under new leadership — a Joshua figure representing the full sovereignty of Christ.
God’s Purpose: A Glorious Church Without Spot or Wrinkle
Warnock appeals to Eph. 5:27 as an ecclesiological programme:
“God’s purpose demands a triumphant Church in the last day. God’s purpose demands that there shall be a ‘glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish’ (Eph. 5:27).” — chap. 2
“God’s purpose demands that the building rises up unto glorious completion. God’s purpose demands that the holy Temple of God comes into glorious perfection. It is not a case of our worthiness. It is God’s Name that is at stake!” — chap. 2
Interpretation: For Warnock the perfection of the church is not a human achievement but a matter of God’s honor. It is not about the worthiness of believers but the holiness of God’s name.
Body of Christ: Christ Inclusive of the Body
In chapter 2 Warnock gives a distinctive reading of 1Cor. 12:12, treating “Christ” as an inclusive term:
“‘For as the body is one… SO ALSO IS CHRIST’ (1 Cor. 12:12). Not ‘so also is the body of Christ,’ but ‘so also is Christ.’ ‘Christ’ includes the body, because ‘Christ’ means ‘Anointed One’ and we share the ‘same anointing’ (1 Jn. 2:27), are partakers of the same Spirit, and therefore become ‘of his flesh, and of his bones’ (Eph. 5:30).” — chap. 2
“God hath given Him ‘to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, THE FULNESS OF HIM that filleth all in all’ (Eph. 1:22, 23).” — chap. 5
“The manner in which God manifested His fulness in the Lord Jesus is the same as the manner in which the Lord Jesus manifests His fulness in the Church, which is His Body.” — chap. 5
Interpretation: For Warnock the church is not merely an organism representing Christ, but the space in which Christ himself comes to fullness. The church is the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Church as the Problem — Salt and Light
In chapter 4 Warnock formulates a sharp ecclesiological self-critique:
“Many agencies in the earth and in the Church are desperately trying to solve earth’s problems, but basically the problem is the Church itself. Instead of being the answer to human need, we are the problem. God’s problem has always been with His own people, not with the world.” — chap. 4
“They are the real problem, because they are supposed to be the ‘salt of the earth.’ How then can we condemn the corruption of the world, when the salt has lost its savour?” — chap. 4
“We are supposed to be ‘the light of the world.’ (Jesus was the Light when He was here; but WE ARE now that He has gone away. See Jn. 9:5; Matt. 5:14). Why then do we condemn the world for walking in darkness, when the light has become well nigh extinguished?” — chap. 4
Interpretation: Warnock inverts the moral indictment against the world: the church is salt and light (Matt. 5:13-14), and the world’s failure is primarily the church’s failure. This is consistent with his critique of the Laodicean spirit in b1.
Church and Judgment — Judgment Begins at the House of God
Warnock connects Ezek. 9 and Rev. 7 to the current situation of the church:
“These are the ones who are being ‘marked’ in this day and hour, by the man with the inkhorn at his side. ‘And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city… and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof’ (Ezek. 9:4). This ‘Marking’ we believe is even now taking place.” — chap. 4
“Judgment is about to fall, but it must first begin at the house of God. Before the man goes forth with the slaughter-weapon in his hand, the chosen ones are being marked. Before the four winds of the earth are loosed upon mankind, ‘the servants of our God’ must be sealed in their foreheads (Rev. 7:3).” — chap. 4
Interpretation: Warnock applies the principle “judgment begins at the house of God” (cf. 1Pet. 4:17) to the ecclesiastical situation of his time. A chosen remnant “sighs and cries” over abominations within the church — parallels with the overcomer theme in b1.
Church Government — Ministries That Lead to Christ
In chapter 5 Warnock formulates a standard for the purpose of ministries:
“That is therefore the purpose of the ministry which God hath set in the Body. ministry which succeeds, knowingly or otherwise, in bringing the people into union with the ministry, rather than into union with the Son, has failed in its purpose.” — chap. 5
“those whom God hath sent must be careful to see that the saints are brought into that place of unconditional loyalty to the Lord Christ Himself… that we ‘grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ’ (Eph. 4:15).” — chap. 5
Critique of church councils:
“What about the Apostles’ Creed? I have never studied it, nor am I really too interested in it, because the apostles were dead and buried when church leaders got together and made the Apostles’ Creed. The apostles were not even at the council. What we, as the Body of Christ, must do in this hour is come back to the apostles’ love and life.” — chap. 5
Interpretation: Warnock employs a pneumatological-organic ecclesial model in which authority does not reside in councils or institutions, but in the living witness of apostolic love and life. Ministries are instrumental — they exist to bring people into Christ, not into themselves.
Unity of the Body — Organic, Not Institutional
In chapter 5 Warnock describes how ecclesiastical unity comes about:
“It is not merely as individuals but in union with the Body of Christ that we shall come into his Divine fulness. Says Paul, ‘That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend WITH ALL SAINTS, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height…’ (Eph. 3:17, 18).” — chap. 5
“as we all, thus beholding the face of the Lord and being transformed into the image of His Son and are JOINED UNTO HIM, we discover to our joy and amazement, that we are in union and fellowship with the other members of the Body of Christ, who have been likewise taught and disciplined in their individual relationship with Him.” — chap. 5
“this joining together is not necessarily for the purpose of setting them straight, or trying to fashion them afresh after our mould.” — chap. 5
Interpretation: Unity for Warnock is not an institutional project but the by-product of individual connection to Christ. This closely parallels his unity vision in b1 (chap. 8), but shifts the emphasis from apostolic ministry as the means to personal connection with Christ as the foundation.
[TENSION with b1: In b1 Warnock places greater emphasis on apostolic ministries (Eph. 4) as the means to unity. In b2 the emphasis shifts to individual connection with Christ as the primary source of unity.]
Church as Royal Priesthood — Temple of Living Stones
In the concluding section of chap. 5 Warnock describes the eschatological form of the church:
“we in union with Him would become living stones of that Temple, as well as co-priests and co-rulers with Him in an entirely different order, a Royal Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.” — chap. 5
“The fulness that He would manifest in His many sons is for the purpose of showing forth the ‘praises (the excellencies, the virtues, the glory) of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.‘” — chap. 5
Interpretation: The church as royal priesthood (1Pet. 2:9) is connected by Warnock to the Melchizedek order — a priesthood surpassing the Levitical order, representing the eschatological completion of the temple image.