Matthew seems to disagree with you. They were added unto them, unto whom, the Church. That Christ talked about in Matt. 18:17. THe Church was made up of the Little Flock of believers. The KINGDOM CHURCH. THAT WAS ADDED TO ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST.
Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem;
Creatorem caeli et terrae.
Et in Jesum Christum,
Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum;
qui conceptus est
de Spiritu Sancto,
natus ex Maria virgine;
passus sub Pontio Pilato,
crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus;
descendit ad inferos;
tertia die resurrexit a mortuis;
ascendit ad caelos;
sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis;
inde venturus est
iudicare vivos et mortuos.
Credo in Spiritum Sanctum;
sanctam ecclesiam catholicam;
sanctorum communionem;
remissionem peccatorum;
carnis resurrectionem;
vitam aeternam. Amen.
In English:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary,
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
he will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
***Matt. 18:17: “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto THE CHURCH; but if he neglect to hear THE CHURCH let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” ****
Jesus is preparing them for when He has left them. That is what He was doing for three years.
The Church was born on the day of Pentecost when the Apostles and the others received strength and courage from the Holy Spirit and the mission and work for which Jesus called them and trained them began.