T as you intensely study christs life you will find that there are 410 commands or. This functional and operational union with the dynamic life of christ has been termed experimental union, experiential union, and existential union. Within the debate of the hypostatic union of christ, there are mainly three primary objections that emerge in opposition to this doctrinal view. Objections to the hypostatic union of christ stand strong. This phrase simply means the union of christs human and divine natures in one being. It is important to note that the two natures of christ maintain their complete identity while being joined in personal union forever.
But we do know that believing in christ as both fully god and fully man is the most reasonable thing we could ever do. Chalcedonian creed and the hypostatic union the biblical. Word of god on the doctrine of the hypostatic union and the celebrityship of. Its construct and importance for the believer by mike bolling early christological heresies. Christological union of incarnational union as the hypostatic union of deity and humanity in the person of jesus.
Christs humanity, the hypostatic union is the greatest gift one could receive, and is. This union of everyone realized in him is the product of the hypostatic union of the two natures of the hypostas of christ. The hypostatic union of the human with the divine nature in the divine person of jesus christ. Therefore, the hypostatic union of christ must be considered a personal union of deity and humanity. Making jesus human through the union of divine and human makes us understand the importance of having a relationship with him because hes a real person, even though he is a perfect human being, a person, and whose life is incomparable. But, the hypostatic union of christ is a difficult concept that. However, despite this general acknowledgment, there have been several antagonisms as far as. Personal and cosmic dimensions of the hypostatic union in jesus. Once christs hypostatic union is denied, pluralistic religion will remove christs works and the will of god from matters of faith, with tremendous consequences that will surely devastate and confuse christian belief.
Incarnation is the term which refers to the act whereby the eternal son of god became flesh. Chapter three goes on to show how balthasar conceives christ as the concrete and personal enactment of the analogy of being. The alexandrian and antiochian christological thoughts1. The meaning of the term hypostatic union as applied to christ the english word hypostasis is derived from a greek word meaning essence, actual being, reality william f. What i shall present are a number of new testament passages which reveal how jesus functioned while on earth as the godman. Studies and articles the soteriological importance of the. Doctrine of the hypostatic union and kenosis june 21, 1988 i. The biblical teaching regarding the incarnation of christ and the person of the mediator is aweinspiring. While this may be hard to understand, this dual nature of christ was required so that he could accomplish his redemptive work on the cross. Spiritual life union with christ is to be expressed in the practical union of christian living. This doctrine amazes us not simply because it is mysterious and somewhat beyond human comprehension, but because there is a sense in which the hypostatic union of the two natures in christ is the greatest miracle in scripture. Claiming to be rational, the christian is asked to explain or attempt to explain a seeming paradox in christian teaching.
The addition of the human nature to the divine nature is jesus, the godman. For hypostasis is the entire ousia which has come into concrete existence, while prosopone union signifies the external aspect of the object or. The nature of christ is a difficult nature to understand. Dec 19, 2007 the hypostatic union is the mysterious joining of the divine and the human in the one person of jesus. Thus, it refers to the real essence of a person or thing. Thus, the hypostatic union is the personal union or joining of the two natures of jesus, namely his divine and human natures. Our lord jesus christ is god himself, the incarnate logos, who took to himself a complete manhood. The hypostatic union is the theological term used to describe how god the son, jesus christ, took on a human nature, yet remained fully god at the same time. Completely god while at the same time completely man. Whoever claims to live in him must live as jesus did, claims john 1 john 2.
The hypostatic union maintains there are two distinct natures. This dissertation articulates maximus the confessors understanding of the hypostatic union in christ and shows how that understanding provided an adequate response to the claims of monotheletism. It means that jesus is both fully god and fully man. Hypostatic union definition of hypostatic union by. Jesus on every page an author interview the hypostatic. Wilbur gingrich, a greekenglish lexicon of the new testament, p. The hypostatic union of christ is important to understand for us because it makes us sympthasize with him. Truly, the apostles who contended earnestly for the faith in their day are exemplary for the christian in every age to guard and retain the standard of sound. The trinity, the hypostatic union, and the communicatio. Hypostatic union the union of the human and divine natures in the one divine person of christ. The two natures of jesus refers to the doctrine that the one person jesus christ hadhas two natures, divine and human.
Manhood was not an independent hypostasis over and against the logos, it is hypostatic in the union. The hypostatic union posted on october 30, 20 by dr. The nature of god in evangelical theology must remain tripersonal, infinite, indivisible, immutable, eternal, all. He is eternal god and man forever at the right hand of god the father. The first objection deals with the apparent contradiction of the two natures, while the second and third objections deal with the infinite will and finite will of christ. What the doctrine of the hypostatic union teaches is that these two natures are united in one person in the godman. Aquinas on the metaphysics of the hypostatic union. Usually, scholars place most of their focus upon the work of the son of god with regards to salvation through christs incarnation, rather than the preincarnation. Hypostatic union, a theological term used with reference to the incarnation to express the revealed truth that in christ one person subsists in two natures, the divine and the human. The doctrine of hypostatic union in matthias scheeben. Ultimately, we cannot fully explain this mystery, as there is nothing else like the hypostatic union in creation. This book is an attempt to provide a highlydeveloped treatment exclusively of aquinass metaphysics of the hypostatic union 11, the doctrine that in christ two natures one human, one divine are united in one person.
For example, jesus is and has always been gods son. According to torrance, the hypostatic union is a dynamic, atoning union in which humanity is cleansed of sin and brought into sanctifying union with god. Doctrine of the hypostatic union introduction since the first advent, it is no longer the divine nature alone which is expressed in the person of jesus christ, but the human nature as well. Ultimately, though, we cannot fully understand how he can be both fully divine and fully human at the same time. The temporal mission of christ entails a double representation. In more ancient times, the council of chalcedon addressed the godman union in christ in 451 a. Hence the union of christs human and divine natures in one person is sometimes called the hypostatic union. The doctrine of the hypostatic union constitutes the objective. At the incarnation two natures full deity and full humanity, were inseparably united in the one person of jesus christ.
It also refers to the whole experience of his human life. Theologian louis berkhof helps shed some further light on the terms nature and person as they relate to. The two distinct natures, which as to their attributes differ significantly, were brought together into personal union, which will continue forever. March 10, 2017 the legacy of the apostles triumphs throughout church history with a thunderous acumen of sound doctrine from the word of god. There are four essentials to the orthodox understanding of the person of christ. Hypostatic union is the union of the two natures divine and human in the person of jesus. Hypostasis upostasis means, literally, that which lies beneath as basis or foundation. Hypostatic union definition of hypostatic union by merriam. It is a critical matter of christian faith that the fullness of god is shared by the lord jesus christ eternally. What is the theological concept of the hypostatic union. Incarnation is the term which refers to the act whereby the eternal son of god became.
Hypostatic union a theological term used with reference to the incarnation, within the womb of mary, to express the divinely revealed truth that in jesus christ, one 1 divine person subsists in two 2 natures, the divine and the human. This article deals with the dogma of the union of the two natures, divine and human, in christs preexisting hypostasis and the redeeming. Hypostatic union is how christians explain the relationship between jesus divine nature, his human nature, and his being. Cook in the beginning was the word, and the word was with god, and the word was godand the word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the. My presupposition is the view of the hypostatic union declared at the council of chalcedonthat christ was fully god and fully human with two natures in one person.
In theology this is called the doctrine of the hypostatic union, from the greek word hypostasis which came to mean substantive reality. There is a false interpretation of the hypostatic union today. Oct 28, 2011 the hypostatic union of christ is important to understand for us because it makes us sympthasize with him. When used of christ, the noun signifies the union of his two natures, the. In the fifteenth year of the reign of tiberius caesar, pontius pilate being governor of judea, and herod being tetrarch of galilee, and his brother philip tetrarch of the region of ituraea and trachonitis, and lysanias tetrarch of abilene, during the high priesthood of annas and caiaphas, the word of. As michael gorman notes in his introduction, this has not been attempted in the literature. The simple truth of the hypostatic union is that the eternal god became fully human in one man, jesus christ. Pdf denial of the hypostatic union leads to theological and. The hypostatic union is the attempt of finite human minds to grasp the infinite nature of jesus christ. The incarnation is the mystery of the wonderful union of the divine and. The hypostatic union of jesus christ israel my glory.
The doctrine of the hypostatic union teaches that the divine nature of the word did not change as it became united, in the one person of christ, with the human nature. It is used to affirm the union of jesus divine and human natures in one personthat jesus christ is perfectly god and perfectly man. Abstract since the time of the early church and centuries thereafter, christian theology in general has always acknowledged the authority of scripture. Oct 30, 20 the hypostatic union posted on october 30, 20 by dr. The hypostatic union of jesus christ introduction the scriptural evidence is overwhelming that jesus of nazareth who is the christ is both god and man forever. Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps, challenges peter 1 pet. Hypostatic union defined the term hypostatic is derived from the greek word hypostasis meaning personal. Jesus human nature from his divine nature because of their perfect union in the one person of christ. His divine nature is united with his human nature in a complete hypostatic personal union without mingling, confusion, alteration or separation. Hence it came to be used by the greek philosophers to denote reality as. In many cases this has been regarded as a progressive union.
Deity possessed humanity, or indwelt the humanity of christ. Catechism of the catholic church on hypostatic union of christ. Objections to the hypostatic union of christ stand. The nature of our lord jesus christ our faith concerning christology. The hypostatic union is the term used to describe how god the son, jesus christ, took on a human nature, yet remained fully god at the same time. When used of christ, the noun signifies the union of his two natures, the divine and the human, in his person. Jesus has all of the characteristics that are true of a person, and all of the characteristics that are true of a divine being. His divine nature is united with his human nature in a complete hypostatic personal union without mingling, confusion, alteration or.
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