Should I always interpret the word 'church' as the body of Christ?
No, the word 'church' should not always be interpreted as the body of Christ. The Greek word 'ecclesia' means a called-out assembly and can refer to any assembly, such as the riotous mob in Acts 19, which was called out by the silversmiths. Context determines meaning; not every occurrence refers to the body of Christ.
Les explains that in Acts 19, the uproar in Ephesus involved a mob, and the word 'ecclesia' is used of that assembly. He points out that it was a called-out assembly, but who called them out? The silversmiths. Therefore, he warns that when you see the word 'church,' you must not automatically assume it means the church as we know it, or as Paul refers to it as the body of Christ. He then contrasts this with Acts 2, where the ecclesia was a called-out assembly of Jewish believers who had separated from mainstream Judaism, believed Jesus was the Christ, and assembled for fellowship and breaking of bread. So context determines whether 'church' refers to the body of Christ or another kind of assembly.