The Hypostatic Union: Fully God, Fully Man
Christ Pantocrator, Mount Sinai (6th Century)
How can Jesus be completely divine and completely human without the two mixing into a demigod or splitting into two persons? The early church's answer is the Hypostatic Union.
The Necessity of Two Natures
The incarnation of Jesus Christ is the central miracle of the Christian faith. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is God (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9) and that Jesus is genuinely human (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 2:14).
Theologically, both natures are absolutely necessary for salvation. Only God has the infinite value required to pay the penalty for humanity's sins against an infinite Creator. However, only a true human can legitimately represent humanity as our substitute.
The Council of Chalcedon
In the early centuries of the Church, various heresies arose trying to logically explain Jesus. Arianism claimed Jesus was a created being (not fully God). Apollinarianism claimed Jesus had a divine mind in a human body (not fully man). Nestorianism divided Jesus into two distinct persons.
In 451 AD, the Council of Chalcedon gathered to permanently define the orthodox biblical view, producing the Chalcedonian Definition.
"We confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ... recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation."
One Person, Two Natures
The Hypostatic Union simply means that the eternal Son of God (the Second Person of the Trinity) took on a human nature. He did not give up His divinity; rather, He added humanity to His divine person.
The two natures do not mix to form a third 'demigod' substance (without confusion), nor does He switch back and forth between them. He is the God-Man, forever uniting the Creator with His creation.
Think you can defend this position?
Can you distinguish biblical Christology from ancient heresies? Step into the Arena to defend the Incarnation.
Enter the Arena Now