Of course there were but the focus was no longer on the Jews as a whole because they had rejected Christ.
>>Oh, and nice dodge once again regarding the question as to why Jesus, God, THE ROCK, chose for Simon a name which means rock.<<
I don’t believe anyone really knows but it certainly wasn’t to replace God.
Psalm 18:31, "And who is a rock, except our God."
God even says there is not other Rock.
Isaiah 44:8, "Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none."
Paul said there is not other than Christ who the church is built on.
1 Cor. 3:11, "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ,"
***I don’t believe anyone really knows but it certainly wasn’t to replace God.***
So, it was just some superfluous thing that Jesus threw out? He had nothing in mind by doing that? And it is just coincidence that the very next thing He says, in the same sentence, is “and upon this rock, I will build my church.”
The Church does not teach or hold that Peter was to “replace” God. Peter leads the Church on earth after Christ’s ascension and as there is no doubt that the Church still needs leading, his authority as given Him by Christ is handed down through the ages, along with the faith.
Well, at least you gave what seems an honest answer.
****Of course there were but the focus was no longer on the Jews as a whole because they had rejected Christ.****
There were some Jews who rejected Christ and some that did not. Just as there were some Gentiles who rejected Christ and some that did not.
The first disciples were Jews, the first martyr for Christ, a Jew and there were Jews throughout the known world who accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and who helped to build His Church with their lives and their deaths.
The Gospel is the same for all of us.