Nothing is said in the New Testament about the persons who first related
the story of the cross in Egypt. But there is a universal tradition that
the Evangelist Mark went to Egypt and preached the gospel with great
success until he was martyred for the name of Jesus Christ. His head is
believed by the Copts to have been buried in the place where the Coptic
Church in Alexandria now stands. From the records of history it is clear
that the Christian religion was carried to Egypt a few years after the
ascension of our Lord, that many in Egypt accepted the new religion
before the close of the first century, and that the numbers rapidly
increased until Egypt became Christian and churches filled the land.
Abyssinia, too, whether through the Ethiopian's return to his country
after his baptism or through others, also accepted the Christian faith,
and many of her people retain the Christian name and boldly defend a
form of Christian doctrine to this day.
The church in Egypt, as we learn from the pages of history, passed
through the fires of persecution as other churches did in the Roman
Empire, and many suffered martyrdom for their unwillingness to deny Him
who redeemed them with his precious blood. The persecution in Egypt
especially was severe in the reign of Diocletian. Milner says on the
authority of Eusebius: "Egypt suffered extremely. Whole families were
put to various kinds of death; some by fire, others by water, others by
decollation, after horrible tortures. Some perished by famine, others by
crucifixion, and of these, some in common manner. Others were fastened
with their heads downwards and preserved alive that they might die by
hunger. Sometimes ten, at other times thirty, sixty, and once a hundred
men and women with their children, were murdered in one day by various
torments. And there was still the appearance of joy among them. They
loved Christ above all, and bravely as well as humbly met death for
Christ's sake."
But as the years passed on, great importance was laid on fasting,
hermitage, and image-worship, and little by little they lost sight of
the merits of Christ's life, sufferings, and death. Today the majority
of the Copts are far away from the gospel purity of doctrine and
are bound with the chains of superstition, and need help to loosen
themselves from such chains that they may enjoy the light and liberty
of the gospel.