Hypostatic Union

The Hypostatic Union

In a previous week we addressed the topic of Jesus as the Son of God, and Jesus as the Son of man. We even covered “why it was necessary for the redeemer to be God?” And why it was necessary for the redeemer to be man?’

Today will involve the next logical question from that - How can the redeemer be both God and man?

Trinity: 1 God in 3 persons.

The Father is God. The Son is God. The Spirit is God.

Three co-eternal persons, 1 divine Godhead.

Jesus is one person with two natures. He has a divine nature and a human nature.

Jesus following the incarnation - so with his conception in Mary’s womb - adds a human nature when he takes on flesh.

In many cases when we discuss the soul this is what we mean. That which makes you - you. That which makes you not just a meatbag, or a clump of cells. The soul is what we refer to when we talk about

But when the Bible speaks of a persons personness/life/essense - it often uses the word for soul. This whole conversation of Biblical anthopology gets messy so I’m going to just kind of leave it there.

Hypostasis - means substance or subsistence. Or Essense.

So hypostatic union means - the unity of Jesus’ essence. Or the unity of Jesus’ person.

A simpler way to understand this might be: The Unity of Jesus’ Person.

This terminology is all devoted to resolving the tension of Jesus being God and man.

There have been a LOT of heresies about this.

Jesus is 1 person with two nature. Jesus has a divine nature. Jesus has a human nature.

Jesus has always had a divine nature. Jesus in the incarnate took on flesh and added a human nature.

From The Athanasian Creed:

Although he is God and human,     yet Christ is not two, but one.     He is one, however,     not by his divinity being turned into flesh,     but by God's taking humanity to himself.     He is one,     certainly not by the blending of his essence,     but by the unity of his person.     For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh,     so too the one Christ is both God and human.

Jesus is both God and Man.

New City Catechism

Question 21: What sort of redeemer is needed to bring us back to God?

Answer: One who is both God and Man.

This was agreed upon by the 4th century - however, the tricky part was explaining how it was possible.

It is a bit easier to understand this if we START with heresies:

Ligonier.org has some great resources about this. (I posted a few articles on the church facebook page.)

We need to know what not to think and say and believe.

However, many of these heresies as we have seen in other weeks have more than one name.

Heresies

Apollonarianism - The belief that Jesus had a divine mind in a human body. Jesus’ fleshly body received a divine brain transplant.

Apollonarius had some good questions, that led him to some bad conclusions. He began with the assertion that God is immutable, which means that God does not change. And yes, absolutely, God is perfect he does not change. But he had difficulty resolving this with Jesus taking on human flesh in the incarnation. Apollonarius in trying to protect the deity of Christ, undermined the humanity of Christ.

Jesus had a real human mother. He was born.

Jesus was hungry. Jesus was thirsty. He ate, he drank. Jesus died.

Nestorianism - name after a man name Nestorius. Though Nestorius was not a Nestorian - he just didn’t teach clearly concerning the person of Jesus.

Nestorianism is the belief that belief that Jesus has two separate persons. Split personalities or dissociative identity disorder. Jesus is not like Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde.

Two natures in two persons.

Monophysitism - Also known as Eutychianism - because Eutyches taught this. A unspoken life goal is to live your entire life without having a heresy named after you.

This is the heresy that states that Jesus has a divine nature, but not a human nature.

Mono - one, physis - nature

This denies the distinction between Christ’s two natures. He taught that Jesus had a godman nature and a godman person. Christ’s humanity was absorbed into his deity and thus his humanity was destroyed. In short he taught that Jesus was not truly man, nor truly god - but a third type of being.

We fall into the logic and trap of Eutychianism when we think that Jesus is not able to relate to us.

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus was tempted to sin as we are - and yet he conquered.

Now someone people will ask the question - well since Jesus had a divine nature could Jesus have actually sinned. And thus they undermine the reality of Jesus’ temptation. Well don’t ask that question. Jesus was tempted in the desert to sin. Jesus did not sin. The presence of Jesus divine nature, does not diminish his human nature.

Any instance in which someone claims that Jesus’ humanity is not sufficient from them to relate, or that Jesus’ temptation is not the same as theirs, or anything like that is an example of this.

If Jesus’ humanity wasn’t the same as our because of his divinity - then can he really save us as humans?

Jesus is truly God, and truly man.

One Biblical Example that we see of this Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25 and Matthew 8:23-27.

Matthew 8:23–27 ESV

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

I think I referenced this text in the past in reference to Jesus divinity but there are two extra things I want to point out.

Jesus is sleeping.

Jesus then proceeds to do only that which God can do.

The disciples ask the question: Who sort of man is this? (Other gospels state it differently) but here in Matthew we see the reference to Jesus as a man who is doing the work of God.

Define person. Define nature.

Monothelitism - one will - this comes out of the 7th century.

Does Jesus have a human will and a divine will?

This is sort of just repackaged monophysitism.

In short - what does it mean to be man. Jesus must be that.

What does it mean to be God. Jesus must be that.

This really becomes defined in the Council of Chalcedon. (Which we will get to in just a moment.)

Jesus is truly man and truly God.

Truly vs. Fully.

Avoid quantitative language when discussing the incarnation. 100% man 100% God.

Well no one is 50% man… so the quantitative language just becomes unhelpful.

The scary thing about the heresies that we are discussing today is that they are really easy to believe as well meaning Christians who simply do not understand the incarnation. Especially since unlike heresies like modalism or unitarianism we don’t have other groups that we can easily point to and say “Don’t be like them.”

The 4th ecumenical council is

The Council of Chalcedon

Nicea, Constantinople 1, Ephesus, Chalcedon.

(as protestants we accept the first 4 councils, though catholics, orthodox and some Lutherans accept 7 - Jim may or may not touch on that in a few weeks. I kind of doubt he will have time for that.)

This council was held in 451 AD. It was attended by 520

Chalcedonian Definition

The Council of Chalcedon is known for its definition

Historic Creeds and Confessions The Symbol of Chalcedon

We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential] with us according to the manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.

Without confusion

There is not a blending that confuses the two.

Without change

Jesus’ divine nature does not change when he takes on human flesh and adds a human nature.

Without separation

Unity. Jesus doesn’t turn off his human nature to allow his divine nature to act.

Without division

There is no half god, or half man. Jesus is not part God or part human.

Whatever it means to be truly man - Jesus must be.

If not then Jesus cannot be a sacrifice for our sins.

Whatever it means to be truly God - Jesus must be.

If not then his sacrifice is not perfect and effective.

Two Biblical Examples of how we see this in play.

Jesus had to be human to die.

Acts 3:15 ESV

15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

By the very definition of these words Jesus had to be both God and Man.

Acts 20:28 ESV

28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Questions?

If anyone asks about Jesus soul.

It depends on what you mean by soul. Jesus has a soul as any human has a soul. There is no divine soul.