It's my understanding that if a convert comes we do not recognize their baptism as valid. Why? I thought that any Christian can perform a baptism (obviously that's not ideal, ideally a priest should do it). Isn't it a heresy to rebaptize?
I’ve been really leaning on Coptic Orthodoxy. But for some reason I’m really scared to submit myself to a church as well as to traditions. I have already reached out to a local priest but I’m just scared that I may submit myself to the wrong church or something like that. If anyone can give advice or help me along this journey. If you could give advice on what you did?
هاي ! من ست سنين أنا أبتديت بحث ف الإسلام و قعدت يعتبر سنه و نص سنتين علي ما اخدت قرار اني اسيب الإسلام و ابقي لأديني …. بعد كدا من سنه ابتديت اقرأ ف الكتاب المقدس و اعرف المسيحيه و كدا و الصراحه بقيت حابب الموضوع جدا و بقيت احب الصلاه المسيحيه اوي ل درجه اني بقيت اصلي كل يوم و مع الوقت تشبعت ب التعاليم و لاقيت نفسي بقعد وقت طويل اسمع مناظرات و محاضرات عن المخطوطات و الترجمات و هكذا… و لكن الصراحه أنا خايف اخد اي خطوه عشان البلد الي فيها لو اخدت خطوه ف حاجه ده خطر و حاجه تانيه …. أنا كان نفسي اتجوز مسيحيه مافيش حد ف بالي بس عايز واحده مسيحيه حاسس كدا هقدر اشير و افكر في ارائي و تشاركني قيمي بس المشكله بقي ف ايه ؟ اني أصلا بحب بنت مسلمه و كنت بفكر اوي اتقدم ليها بعد الجيش بس أنا دلوقتي مش عارف اعمل ايه بجد … الفكره اني انطوائي ف العادي و هادي و بخاف اتكلم مع حد و البنت الي حبيتها حبيتها عشان ذيي كدا و ف سنه التخرج اهو بنذاكر مع بعض و بنهون علي بعض … بس هي ماتعرفش كل ده و لو عرفت مستحيل تبقي معايا …. أنا مش عارف جديا اعمل ايه سواء معاها او اني اتكلم مع اب كاهن او اني افكر. برا أوضتي او أشارك افكاري مع حد حتي لو مسيحي لاني عارف ان ف مصر الوضع مافيهوش حريه او تهاون او رحمه.
ممكن اراء و لو حد مسلم و حول حصل ايه ؟
I read that according to Coptic tradition that Joseph was married before Mary, had at least one child and was widowed before he was betrothed to Mary. That seems... I don't know what to say because it seems out of character I guess...? with how God does things...? I can't think of another example of an old man marrying a young woman in the Bible.
I know the Bible doesn't mention Joseph's age. And I'm an evangelical Christian, not Coptic, so I take the traditions as historical and probable fact, but not 100% truth without doubt like the infallible Bible. But if Joseph was really elderly at the time of Jesus' birth, that would mean he made the difficult journey through Egypt for a few years escaping Herod's soldiers to save Jesus' life. Which of course is not impossible, but I guess I was just surprised to learn this because I was always taught he was young when Jesus was born. I was never taught an age, just that he was older than Mary, who was probably around 15 or so, but he was probably around 20 years old, nowhere near the age of her father or grandfather.
I was also never taught that he was married before but I wasnt taught that he was not married before either, it just wasnt mentioned.
So, is it really true he was so old when Jesus was born?