Hypostatic union of christ pdf

Hypostatic union is the union of the two natures divine and human in the person of jesus. The hypostatic union posted on october 30, 20 by dr. Manhood was not an independent hypostasis over and against the logos, it is hypostatic in the union. This phrase simply means the union of christs human and divine natures in one being. The trinity, the hypostatic union, and the communicatio. 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.

When used of christ, the noun signifies the union of his two natures, the divine and the human, in his person. 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. The addition of the human nature to the divine nature is jesus, the godman. This functional and operational union with the dynamic life of christ has been termed experimental union, experiential union, and existential union. In more ancient times, the council of chalcedon addressed the godman union in christ in 451 a. 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.

As michael gorman notes in his introduction, this has not been attempted in the literature. The temporal mission of christ entails a double representation. 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. Completely god while at the same time completely man. Wilbur gingrich, a greekenglish lexicon of the new testament, p. There are four essentials to the orthodox understanding of the person of christ. Its construct and importance for the believer by mike bolling early christological heresies. Word of god on the doctrine of the hypostatic union and the celebrityship of. Hence it came to be used by the greek philosophers to denote reality as.

At the incarnation two natures full deity and full humanity, were inseparably united in the one person of jesus christ. 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 father, full of grace and truth. T as you intensely study christs life you will find that there are 410 commands or. Christological union of incarnational union as the hypostatic union of deity and humanity in the person of jesus. When used of christ, the noun signifies the union of his two natures, the. Thus, the hypostatic union is the personal union or joining of the two natures of jesus, namely his divine and human natures. What is the theological concept of the hypostatic union.

Oct 30, 20 the hypostatic union posted on october 30, 20 by dr. Christ union 1 the hypostatic union of christ true god and true man introduction. 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 nature of our lord jesus christ our faith concerning christology. Studies and articles the soteriological importance of 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. Objections to the hypostatic union of christ stand strong. Within the debate of the hypostatic union of christ, there are mainly three primary objections that emerge in opposition to this doctrinal view. 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. In many cases this has been regarded as a progressive union. 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.

Hypostatic union jesus christ while being fully human and also fully divine in one person from all eternity voluntarily gave up the use of certain of his divine attributes in subordinating himself to the father for the period of the incarnation. Jesus has all of the characteristics that are true of a person, and all of the characteristics that are true of a divine being. 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. What the doctrine of the hypostatic union teaches is that these two natures are united in one person in the godman. But, the hypostatic union of christ is a difficult concept that. 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. The nature of god in evangelical theology must remain tripersonal, infinite, indivisible, immutable, eternal, all. The alexandrian and antiochian christological thoughts1. Objections to the hypostatic union of christ stand. The hypostatic union of jesus christian apologetics project. Hypostatic union definition of hypostatic union by. Ultimately, we cannot fully explain this mystery, as there is nothing else like the hypostatic union in creation.

Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps, challenges peter 1 pet. The theological term hypostatic union has its origins in the council of chalcedon and emphasizes that jesus christ was fully god and fully man at the same time. The hypostatic union maintains there are two distinct natures. 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. Hypostatic union definition is union in one hypostasis. The hypostatic union is the attempt of finite human minds to grasp the infinite nature of jesus christ. The two distinct natures, which as to their attributes differ significantly, were brought together into personal union, which will continue forever. It means that jesus is both fully god and fully man.

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. 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. What i shall present are a number of new testament passages which reveal how jesus functioned while on earth as the godman. His divine nature is united with his human nature in a complete hypostatic personal union without mingling, confusion, alteration or separation. It is important to note that the two natures of christ maintain their complete identity while being joined in personal union forever. Oct 28, 2011 the hypostatic union of christ is important to understand for us because it makes us sympthasize with him. Theologian louis berkhof helps shed some further light on the terms nature and person as they relate to. This article deals with the dogma of the union of the two natures, divine and human, in christs preexisting hypostasis and the redeeming. 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. Whoever claims to live in him must live as jesus did, claims john 1 john 2.

The incarnation is the mystery of the wonderful union of the divine and. The simple truth of the hypostatic union is that the eternal god became fully human in one man, jesus christ. For example, jesus is and has always been gods son. Thus, it refers to the real essence of a person or thing. It is a critical matter of christian faith that the fullness of god is shared by the lord jesus christ eternally. Hence the union of christs human and divine natures in one person is sometimes called the hypostatic union. Abstract since the time of the early church and centuries thereafter, christian theology in general has always acknowledged the authority of scripture. 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. The hypostatic union of the human with the divine nature in the divine person of jesus christ. The biblical teaching regarding the incarnation of christ and the person of the mediator is aweinspiring. Spiritual life union with christ is to be expressed in the practical union of christian living. Our lord jesus christ is god himself, the incarnate logos, who took to himself a complete manhood.

Hypostatic union is how christians explain the relationship between jesus divine nature, his human nature, and his being. Hypostasis upostasis means, literally, that which lies beneath as basis or foundation. Catechism of the catholic church on hypostatic union of christ. 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. 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. Hypostatic union definition of hypostatic union by merriam.

The doctrine of the hypostatic union constitutes the objective. It also refers to the whole experience of his human life. The term hypostatic is from the greek, hupostasis which is translated reality or person. Jesus on every page an author interview the hypostatic. Pdf denial of the hypostatic union leads to theological and.

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. In theology this is called the doctrine of the hypostatic union, from the greek word hypostasis which came to mean substantive reality. The doctrine of hypostatic union in matthias scheeben. For hypostasis is the entire ousia which has come into concrete existence, while prosopone union signifies the external aspect of the object or. Aquinas on the metaphysics of the hypostatic union. Jesus human nature from his divine nature because of their perfect union in the one person of christ. 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. Therefore, the hypostatic union of christ must be considered a personal union of deity and humanity. The nature of christ is a difficult nature to understand. 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.

March 10, 2017 the legacy of the apostles triumphs throughout church history with a thunderous acumen of sound doctrine from the word of god. The two natures of jesus refers to the doctrine that the one person jesus christ hadhas two natures, divine and human. Hypostatic union the union of the human and divine natures in the one divine person of christ. Deity possessed humanity, or indwelt the humanity of christ. The hypostatic union of christ is important to understand for us because it makes us sympthasize with him. He is eternal god and man forever at the right hand of god the father. 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. Dec 19, 2007 the hypostatic union is the mysterious joining of the divine and the human in the one person of jesus. There is a false interpretation of the hypostatic union today. 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. Incarnation is the term which refers to the act whereby the eternal son of god became. Doctrine of the hypostatic union and kenosis june 21, 1988 i.

Claiming to be rational, the christian is asked to explain or attempt to explain a seeming paradox in christian teaching. 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. The hypostatic union of jesus christ israel my glory. 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. Ultimately, though, we cannot fully understand how he can be both fully divine and fully human at the same time. His divine nature is united with his human nature in a complete hypostatic personal union without mingling, confusion, alteration or. Personal and cosmic dimensions of the hypostatic union in jesus.