That is why the last chapter of John,21:17,containing the words Jesus said to Peter,""Feed my sheep." is so incredibly significant.
Jesus came down to find the lost sheep of the tribes of Israel,who had heard the voice of God,yet they had gotten lost. Jesus knew without a visible Church and visible leaders other new sheep would also get lost from the fold. To prevent "deja vu" (all over again)He gave Peter the responsibility and the means to guide us all back to Him,Who Is.
He knew exactly where they were.....and that is why he sent the "Twelve" to them [Matthew 10:5-6].
Peter, writing from Babylon [I Peter 1:1-2] to the Israelites along the shores of the Black Sea....those with the foreknowledge of God even lists them in Geographical order....from east to west....and back. This shows that indeed the letter was sent from Babylon in the east....not Rome in the west!
The Northern Kingdom of Israel had been carried into captivity (721 B.C. to Assyria [II Kings 17:6] and the southern shore of the Black Sea was part of that old territory...and many Israelites still lived there in the first century. The Assyrian empire of 700 B.C. encompassed a lot of ground....including Babylon where many people were transplanted from.... to Samaria (previous location of Northern Kingdom of Israel) [II Kings 17:24].
These folks were not Gentile.....they were Israelites! Paul, being an Apostle to the Gentiles....was told to stay out of there [Acts 16:6-8].