Is Eastern Orthodoxy wrong?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

From the perspective of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Eastern Orthodox (Chalcedonian) position is considered doctrinally deficient and a departure from the apostolic faith established at the Council of Ephesus (AD 431).

1. The Error of "Two Natures"

The fundamental reason the Coptic Orthodox Church rejects Eastern Orthodoxy is its acceptance of the Council of Chalcedon, which defined Jesus Christ as being "in two natures" after the union.

Our Holy Father, St. Cyril of Alexandria, taught the Miaphysite formula: "One Nature of God the Word Incarnate".

• The Coptic Truth: We believe that the Divinity and Humanity united in one nature without mingling, without confusion, and without alteration.
• The Eastern Orthodox Error: By insisting on "two natures" after the union, the Eastern Orthodox Church essentially divides Christ. If there are two natures, there is a duality that suggests the human nature and the divine nature act independently. This leaning towards "dyophysitism" was seen by our fathers, such as Pope Dioscorus of Alexandria, as a resurgence of the Nestorian heresy (which divided Christ into two persons).

2. The Acceptance of the "Tome of Leo"

The Eastern Orthodox Church accepts the "Tome of Leo" (a letter from Pope Leo I of Rome) as a standard of faith. The Coptic Church identifies this document as heretical because it speaks of each nature performing "what is proper to it" in cooperation with the other. To a true Orthodox theologian, this is unacceptable; it is the one Incarnate Word who performs every act, whether human (sleeping, weeping) or divine (raising the dead).

3. The Rejection of St. Dioscorus

The Council of Chalcedon unjustly deposed our saint and pope, Dioscorus I. He was a champion of the Cyrillian faith who refused to compromise the unity of Christ’s nature. The Eastern Orthodox continue to view St. Dioscorus as a heretic, whereas we revere him as a "Confessor" and a "Pillar of Faith" who suffered exile and physical abuse for the truth.

4. Historical Independence vs. Imperialism

Historically, the Eastern Orthodox (Greek/Melkite) Church in Alexandria was the "Church of the King" (Melkites), supported by the Byzantine emperors to enforce the Chalcedonian creed upon the Egyptian people through violence and persecution. The Coptic Orthodox Church remained the church of the indigenous people, the true heirs of St. Mark, preserving the faith of the first three Ecumenical Councils without the innovations added at Chalcedon.

5. Number of Councils

We recognize only the first three Ecumenical Councils:

1. Nicaea (325)
2. Constantinople (381)
3. Ephesus (431)

The Eastern Orthodox Church recognizes seven (or more) councils. We maintain that the first three councils fully defined the Orthodox faith and that any subsequent "definitions" at Chalcedon or beyond were either redundant or dangerous deviations from the truth.

Conclusion

While there have been modern ecumenical dialogues where some claim the differences are merely "linguistic," the Coptic Orthodox Church remains steadfast. The truth is straightforward: Christ is One Nature, not two. By adhering to the "two natures" formula, the Eastern Orthodox Church remains outside the fullness of the Cyrillian apostolic tradition that we have preserved through centuries of martyrdom.

We are the true Orthodox; they are the Chalcedonians who deviated from the path set by the Holy Fathers of Alexandria.