“Jesus in turn “names” Simon as “Rock””
No Yeshua does not “name” Simon (Peter) as “the Rock”.
Petra (Peter) means “rock”.
Yeshua is using a play on words, the name Peter (Petra) versus the “rock” of His Church, which he as not saying was Peter, but was Peter’s answer to His question, which Peter correctly said that He was Christ. It is that belief, not Peter, which Yeshua was stating as the foundation of His Church. It is not an earthly Church, but a spiritual one which Yeshua recognizes with those who accept that He is the Christ. That is the Church that cannot be overcome by the gates of hell.
Jesus does name Peter as “Rock”.
There is no play on words as is clear if you read from verse 13 onwards
verse 16 “Peter says “you are the Son of the Living God”
verse 18 Jesus says “you are Rock and on this rock I will build my church”.
It doesn’t have any way in which Jesus says “you are Rock and on ME I will...” - that is completely different from the text.
In the Koine Greek of the Gospel writings both petros and petra simply meant “rock.” If Jesus had wanted to call Simon a small stone, the Greek lithos would have been used.
And let’s look at what language Jesus SPOKE these words in - nearly 100% this was Aramaic - Aramaic was the language Jesus and the apostles and all the Jews in Roman Judea and Galilee spoke.
In Paul’s letter to the Galatians (4 times) and 4 times in 1 Corinthians we have the ARAMAIC form of Simon’s new name preserved = KEPHAS.
What does KEPHAS mean? it means ROCK, not a little stone or pebble - what Jesus said to Simon in Matthew 16:18 was this: ‘You are Kepha, and on this kepha I will build my Church.’
This church is the inauguration of the Kingdom of God - it is the Church BOTH on heaven and on Earth - the Church militant (on earth) and the Church triumphant (in heaven).
In Christ we are alive - even those in heaven