Was the Ephesus mob called a church in the Bible?
In Acts, the Ephesus mob was called an Ecclesia in the Greek, the same word often translated 'church.' However, the translators rendered it 'assembly' rather than 'church,' because it was an unlawful, riotous assembly under mob rule. So it was not called a church in English Bibles.
Les explains that the Greek word Ecclesia, from which 'church' is translated, is used in different ways beyond the Body of Christ. He points out that Stephen referred to Israel in the wilderness as the 'Church in the Wilderness,' which was not the Body of Christ. Similarly, the riotous mob in Ephesus was called an Ecclesia in Greek, but the translators called it an 'assembly' rather than 'church.' This shows that the word 'church' does not automatically mean the Body of Christ; Paul almost always qualifies the present-day Church as the Body of Christ.
More Questions
Why is the riotous mob in Ephesus called 'assembly' in English instead of 'church' even though the Greek says ecclesia?
The riotous mob in Ephesus was called an Ecclesia in the Greek, but translators rendered it 'assembly' rather than 'Church,' because it was an unlawful, riotous assembly and mob rule, not the Body of Christ.