Was Israel at Sinai a called-out assembly?
Yes, Israel at Sinai was a called-out assembly, termed Ecclesia, but not a church. God called them out of Egypt and camped them at Sinai, forming an assembly under Moses and the law. They lacked church offices like deacons, bishops, and pastors, making it a different setting entirely.
Les explains that the word Ecclesia means called-out assembly, and Israel at Sinai fit that description. God called them and led them out of Egypt, camping them at Sinai, so they became a called-out assembly. However, Les emphasizes it was not a church as we understand it: they had no deacons, bishops, or pastors, and they were under the law and Moses, a wholly different setting from the church. Yet it is the same word.