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According to Coptic Church tradition, Mark, who wrote the second Gospel, planted the Coptic Church in North Africa. Following him, other African church fathers helped to formulate the essential doctrines Christians cherish today. These African scholars included Saints Athanasius, Origen, Tertullian, and Augustine. Monasteries, where people lived to draw close to God, began during that time. The Coptic Church, despite persecution and changing civil rulers, has existed without interruption for nearly 2,000 years. Some believe its longevity fulfills God’s promise told to Isaiah. We read in Isaiah Chapter 19 that though Egypt was once the target of God’s wrath for mistreating ancient Israel. God would one day reverse their fortunes. He would make Egypt a blessing to the world. We read in Isaiah Chapter 19, “In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign and a witness that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is worshiped in the land of Egypt.” If the Coptic Church helps to fulfill that promise, it would be another example of how God keeps every promise He has made.
