The Journey Toward Understanding
Part six: Union of Natures
I. A Tale of Two Cities
“It sounds crude when put this way, but there can be no getting around the fact that both Antioch and Alexandria looked hungrily to Constantinople and sought to have their „favorite sons‟ rise to high positions as chaplains, presbyters, deacons and even as bishop – patriarch of Constantinople – in order to enhance their own city‟s reputation and influence and in order that their own distinctive brand of theology might be promoted.” (Roger E. Olson, The Story of Christian Theology, 202)
A. Alexandria
1. Alexandrian Politics
Named for Alexander the Great
• Thriving center of education, trade, commerce in first century • By fifth century, focused on winning Constantinople
2. Alexandrian Christology
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) • Christ took flesh – emphasis on human nature, subject to weakness, disease, death • Jesus is one person, a unity of Word/flesh “Word-flesh” Christology B. Antioch
1. Antiochene Politics
• Great center of commerce in first century • Term “Christian” first used in Antioch • Paul began missionary journeys in Antioch
2. Antiochene Christology
• Jesus is fully divine, fully human (Nicene orthodoxy) • Saw eternal Word of God uniting with a man (not merely taking human nature) • Jesus is actually two persons – the Second Person of the Trinity, and a human man
“Word-man” Christology
II. Nestorius (381-451) on the Humanity and Divinity of Jesus Christ
A. Nestorius’ Christology
• 428, Nestorius made Bishop of Constantinople (Antiochene in Christology)
Theotokos
“God-bearer” • Term used to emphasize divinity of Jesus
“When Mary gave birth to her little boy, she gave
birth to God.” (Roger E. Olson, The Story of Christian Theology)
• Christmas, 428 – Nestorius condemns Theotokos as term to describe Mary
God is changeless – God cannot be born any more than He can die! Suggested Christotokos as alternative
“[Nestorianism believed] that although Jesus Christ was one person (God and man united), his two natures (one human and one divine) existed side by side and hence were separable.” (“Nestorianism” in Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki, and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms) B. Problems with Nestorius’ Christology
Nestorianism makes Jesus a split personality, a
schizophrenic
• Makes the two natures of Christ separable
Jesus the man is separate from Christ the Word! • The man suffered, the Word did not • The man was born, the Word was not • The Word is worthy of worship, the man is not
The Son of God did not truly become human and experience human existence. He knew a mediated human existence, through the man Jesus.
“…in both adoptionism and Nestorianism the Son of God never actually enters into
human existence. The human person in the Nestorian conjunction remains not only
distinct in nature but also a distinct person from the Son of God.” (Roger E. Olson, The Story of Christian Theology, 216)
III. Cyril of Alexandria (d444) and the “Hypostatic Union”
A. The Key Terms of Cyril’s Position • Bishop of Alexandria, 1. “Nature” 412-444 Refers to that which makes a thing what it is “Complex of attributes”
2. “Person”
Person (duh). Greek hypostasis – an individual, and entity 3. “Hypostatic Union”
Uniting both of Christ‟s natures in a single hypostasis.
Two natures, one Person B. The Christology of Cyril of Alexandria
• Cyril does not believe that a nature requires its own person
• The eternal Word of God is a person with a divine nature
• In the “incarnation,” this divine person took a human nature
(i.e., the full range of human attributes) but not a
separate human person
• The result: One person (Son of God) with two natures
(one divine, one human)
IV. The Council of Ephesus (431)
Emperor Theodosius II (apparently during his teenage years, when acne was a problem)
Don‟t blink – this gets messy! • Cyril and the Alexandrians arrived on time; Nestorius and the Antiochenes were late; Council proceeded nonetheless, condemned Nestorius.
Affirmed “One and the same is the eternal Son of the Father and the Son of the Virgin Mary, born in time after the flesh; therefore she may rightly be called Mother of God.” (Aloys Grillmeier, S.J., Christ in Christian Tradition)
• Then Nestorius and Antiochenes arrived, met independently, condemned Cyril
• Then delegates from West/Rome arrived, met independently, condemned Nestorius • Ultimately, Theodosius II forced the Council of Ephesus to affirm… Christ is one Person, with two natures