Hypostatic union is one of the most difficult concepts for Christians to describe without committing heresy.
We know that Jesus is God. He has always been God, one of the persons of the Trinity. One God in three persons.
But what can be said about the humanity of Jesus? What does the concept of “Jesus, God who became man” mean?
And now that we are approaching Easter, what does his humanity and divinity have to do with us?
In short, everything.
How do Jesus’ humanity and divinity work together?
This article does not try to explain how Christ’s humanity and divinity work together. We will briefly mention some of the heresies that have misinterpreted this matter. However, even theologians who have studied the subject for years believe that the concept is inherently mysterious. The human brain cannot fully comprehend the concept of Jesus being fully human and fully God at the same time.
We need both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus, and we will soon see why.
For now, here are some of the heresies that have misinterpreted the human union of Christ’s humanity and divinity:
Adoptionism: This belief says that Christ began his work as a human being, but God accepted him into the divinity at baptism. This would make Christ a kind of demigod, which would not work at all, because he would not be fully divine. It also places the Father above him in importance, which does not fit the Trinitarian model.
Apollinarianism: This belief says that Christ did not have a human mind, but only a divine mind. That doesn’t make him fully human, which doesn’t work either.
Arianism: This belief says that Christ and the Holy Spirit were created beings and not eternal like the Father.
Docetism: This belief says that Christ was fully divine, but only “appeared” to be human. This heresy is clearly at odds with his all-human nature.
Nestorianism: This belief held that Jesus was two persons (one divine and one human) instead of one person who was fully divine and fully human.
Did Jesus lose his humanity by emptying himself?
Jesus’ incarnation did not mean that he would at any time and in any way give up an iota of his divinity (Colossians 2:9). In fact, the idea of “surrendering” to divinity is somewhat absurd and meaningless. However, Jesus took on true human nature (Philippians 2:6-8).
The concept that “the Word became flesh” as presented and expanded in the Bible narratives is a secret. But it is the believer’s duty to bow before all that the Bible clearly states, even if the aspects or implications of the revealed truth are ultimately beyond our full comprehension.
The Bible makes it clear that Jesus’ humanity, though a sinless humanity, was real and perfect. Therefore, as we read the Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus, it is important to remember that except in the rare and relatively few instances when the Holy Spirit led Jesus to access and exercise the supernatural abilities that resulted from His divine attributes, He He lived his life under the real and inherent limitations of humanity without sin. Therefore, in the interval between his physical conception and his ascension to the Father, Jesus voluntarily gave up the independent exercise of his divine attributes.
This concept does not solve the mystery of the relationship between divine and human nature (indeed, it cannot be solved). However, this concept expresses biblical teachings about how Jesus of Nazareth lived on earth, and thus reflects biblical teachings about the functional relationship between those two natures.
Today in the article : What Does It Mean that Jesus is God Who Became a Man? We reviewed useful information about the Bible and the way of Jesus. If you wish, you can view other articles of Ali Vahidi about Christianity
