Coptic Orthodox

 

Coptic Orthodox are part of the Oriental Orthodox Church who reject the Council of Chalcedon and adhere to Athanasian Creed. Coptic Orthodox affirm  the doctrine of The Holy Trinity, but their doctrine of soteriology/ salvation (how one is saved for eternity)  is heterodox and false, “Coptic Christians teach that both God and man have roles in human salvation: God, through Christ's atoning death and resurrection; man, through good works, which are the fruits of faith.” (https://www.learnreligions.com/coptic-christian-beliefs-and-practices-700009). This is in contradiction of the truth that only Jesus and His grace saves us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast,” (Ephesians 2:8-9), “and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith,” (Philipians 3:9), “Jesus.. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” (Acts 4:12), and, “After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are,” (Acts 15:7-11). 

The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) ruled on the matter of salvation, they agreed that it is by grace (free gift, unmerited favor) and faith (trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ that one is saved. The Copts are adding to the blood of Christ, which is antichrist (means to replace christ) by saying humans also partner in salvation through doing works of fasting and etc. We are not saviors, Jesus Christ alone is the Savior! Solus Christus! Christ Alone. There is one Mediator, Christ Jesus who has paid for our sins once for all time and who alone brings salvation to Christians, “Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once,and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:25-29), “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,” (Hebrews 5:9), “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him,” (John 3:36), “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 6:23), “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,” (Romans 10:9), “And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household,” (Acts 16:31), and “I, I am the Lord (Jesus is the Lord see Romans 10:9, and Phillipians 2:9-11), and besides me there is no savior.” (Isaiah 43:12). 

Salvation is in Jesus Alone! The Copts are embracing heresy to say that humans can achieve slavic merit through works. 

Copts also teach only the priest can forgive sin, “Copts believe verbal confession to a priest is necessary for forgiveness of sins. Embarrassment during confession is considered part of the penalty for sin. In confession, the priest is considered a father, judge, and a teacher.” (https://www.learnreligions.com/coptic-christian-beliefs-and-practices-700009). Only God can forgive sin! Jesus Christ who is God Incarnate forgave us sins, forgiveness is in Him and His name, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. [And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:40-43). 

Only Jesus is the Judge not Coptic Priests!, “For the Lord (Jesus, Romans 10:9) is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us” (Isaiah 33:22), and “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,” (John 5:22), and there is one Mediator between God and Man, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the Son of Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). 

We all our priests! There is no special caste of priesthood anymore, “Jesus, the Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins with his own blood and has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6, Jubilee Bible), and “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 1:29). 

The Coptic Priests who call themselves father violate Christ’s words, “And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9) 

Copts also teach you must fast 9 hours before receiving Communion, and that when on their period cannot partake of the Wine and Bread. Jesus made no requirements for partaking in the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19-21), and the Apostle Paul was chastising people who were coming to the Communion meal to get free bread and get drunk: 

“But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.” (1 Corinthians 11:17-34). 

The unworthy manner is who Paul referred to as eating all the bread and getting drunk. Its freeloaders like those Jesus got rid of in John 6:50-66. People who want bread and wine not The Bread of Life and The Vine Jesus Christ. 

While I do agree we should examine ourselves and repent of sins before partaking, no one should be forbidden to partake of the Communion unless they are not a Christian.

I recommend you stay far way from Coptic Christianity due to its heterodox and erroneous view of salvation, and its other errors. That this church thinks humans can add to Jesus’ finished work on the cross is blasphemy and reminds me why Jesus said, “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible (this means its possible), even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24). Coptic priests are false prophets and they preach another gospel, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” (Galatians 1:8), and “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily.” (2 Corinthians 12:3-4). We must call out false christs, false churches, and false gospels and declare the truth that salvation is in Christ alone (Acts 4:10-12), according to the Holy Scriptures, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Amen.