It is not secret knowledge. According to Eusebius of Caesarea in “Ecclesiastical History” written in the early 4th century Mark traveled to Alexandria and became the first Bishop of Alexandria. The Copts claim to be the descendents of that first Christian Church in Egypt.
In the fifth century, there was a heresy known as “monophysitism” which denied the hypo-static union of Christ and assigned to Him only ONE Nature instead of His being “Fully God and Fully Man”. The Council of Chalcedon addressed this issue, but their wording was not in agreement with the beliefs of the Coptic Church. While not really ‘monophysite”, their definition (Miaphysism..That Christ is “perfectly Divine and Perfectly Human”) did not harmonize with the Council, and they were condemned as heretics. This misunderstanding could have been cleared up, except that, in the intervening centuries, muslim conquest isolated the Coptic Church from both the Latin and Orthodox Communions.(I got this info from 2 different Coptic Priests, so it is what they believe to be true.)
Also, the Coptic Church never became politically powerful like their Western and Eastern Counterparts, and, since the muslim conquest, have existed in isolation and marginalized in their communities. This could be another reason the “Misunderstanding” has not been addressed.
Seeing how these Christians have stood for Christ in the midst of incredible depredations and adversity for nearly 1500 years, I have no doubt that they are my Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
And I pray that I may have the same courage and witness if I am ever in a similar situation.
The author of this piece would probably consider me a heretic as well, as I am an Evangelical/Pentecostal who plays Contemporary Christian Music in a biker outreach.
But...that’s a whole other story! LOL!
Yes, I did not know of their association with Mark. What I was also alluding to was the Copt’s potentially Gnostic “Gospel of Thomas,” among other things:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Thomas
Mrs. Don-o, I am honored you took the time to respond to my post. You have a lovely heart.
My wife and I will keep you and your family in our prayers.
Please take appropriate care of yourself to heal as well as possible.