Was the early church the Body of Christ, or something different?
The early church was a called-out, separated group of Jews, but it was not yet under the terminology of the Body of Christ, which is something so different. It was the assembly of God that Saul persecuted. So the early church and the Body of Christ are not the same.
Les explains that the early church was a called-out, separated group of Jews, but he does not feel they were as yet under the terminology of the Body of Christ, which is something so different. He notes that Saul of Tarsus, a religious practitioner of Judaism, persecuted the assembly of God and wasted it. Stephen addressed the leaders of Israel, going through their history up to Christ's crucifixion and rejection, proclaiming He was the Christ, the Messiah of Israel. Peter had said they killed Him, but God raised Him from the dead, and He was still in a position to be their King. Saul sincerely hated these Jews who had embraced Jesus of Nazareth and tried to stamp it out.
For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: