What Is The Hypostatic Union?
The Hypostatic Union
is one of the most profound and central doctrines in Christian theology, describing the unique and mysterious union of two natures—the divine and the human—in the one person of Jesus Christ. This doctrine seeks to explain how Jesus could be both fully God and fully man at the same time, yet without confusion or division. The Hypostatic Union is foundational to understanding the nature of Christ and His role in salvation.
1. Understanding the Two Natures of Christ
To grasp the Hypostatic Union, it’s essential to understand the two distinct natures of Jesus Christ:
- Divine Nature (Fully God): Jesus is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, sharing the same divine essence as God the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, and unchanging.
- Human Nature (Fully Man): Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, took on full humanity, experiencing human emotions, physical limitations, and suffering. He grew in wisdom, learned, and even felt hunger and thirst, just like any human being.
These two natures—divine and human—exist simultaneously in the person of Jesus Christ without blending, mixing, or diminishing one another.
2. The Key Aspects of the Hypostatic Union
The term “Hypostatic Union” comes from the Greek word hypostasis, which means “substance” or “being.” In Christian theology, it refers to the one person (hypostasis) of Jesus Christ who holds together the two natures—divine and human—without confusion or separation.
The doctrine was formally defined in the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, where the Church clarified the nature of Christ as follows:
- Jesus Christ is one person.
- He is fully divine and fully human.
- His two natures are united without confusion, change, division, or separation.
- Each nature retains its own properties.
This means that Jesus did not cease to be fully God when He became fully human, and His humanity did not limit or override His divinity. The two natures exist in perfect harmony within the one person of Jesus.
3. The Importance of the Hypostatic Union
The Hypostatic Union is essential for several key reasons:
1. For Our Salvation
The Hypostatic Union is directly linked to the doctrine of salvation. For Jesus to be an adequate Savior, He had to be both fully divine and fully human. Here’s why:
- Divinity: Jesus’ divinity is necessary because only God can accomplish the work of salvation. As God, Jesus has the power and authority to forgive sins and conquer death. His divinity guarantees that His sacrifice is of infinite worth.
- Humanity: Jesus’ humanity is necessary for Him to represent humanity before God. As a human, He can fully identify with our weaknesses, temptations, and suffering. His perfect humanity allows Him to be the substitute for sinful humans, taking on our sin and offering righteousness in return.
Without the Hypostatic Union, Jesus could not be both the perfect mediator between God and humanity, and He would not be able to save us in the way that He did through His life, death, and resurrection.
2. To Maintain the Integrity of Both Natures
The Hypostatic Union ensures that both the divine and human natures of Jesus remain intact. This means that:
- Jesus is fully God: He is not a demigod or a created being but truly God, co-eternal with the Father.
- Jesus is fully human: He is not a divine figure who merely appeared to be human or a human who became divinized. He is truly and completely human, experiencing everything we experience except sin.
This integrity of both natures is essential for understanding how Jesus could fully live as a man yet still perform divine acts, such as forgiving sins and performing miracles, while still being human in His experience.
3. To Prevent Heresies
The doctrine of the Hypostatic Union also serves to prevent various heresies that arose in the early church. Some of these heresies included:
- Docetism: The belief that Jesus only appeared to be human but was actually entirely divine.
- Arianism: The belief that Jesus was not truly God but rather a created being, inferior to the Father.
- Nestorianism: The belief that Jesus was two separate persons, one divine and one human, rather than one person with two natures.
The Chalcedonian definition, which affirms the Hypostatic Union, rejects these heresies and upholds the biblical teaching that Jesus is both fully God and fully man, in one person.
4. Biblical Support for the Hypostatic Union
The Bible affirms the two natures of Christ in numerous passages:
- Jesus’ Divinity:
- John 1:1-14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
- Colossians 1:19: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.”
- Hebrews 1:3: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.”
- Jesus’ Humanity:
- John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
- Hebrews 2:14: “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity.”
- Luke 2:52: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
- Jesus as One Person:
- Colossians 2:9: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”
- Philippians 2:6-8: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
5. The Mystery of the Hypostatic Union
The Hypostatic Union remains a profound mystery that transcends human understanding. How can two natures—divine and human—exist perfectly in one person without confusion or contradiction? This is a mystery that Christians accept in faith because of the revelation of Scripture and the teachings of the early Church.
The Hypostatic Union is not something we can fully comprehend but is a foundational truth that shapes our understanding of who Jesus is and what He accomplished. It is a mystery that points to the greatness of God’s love and wisdom, and it should lead us to awe and worship as we reflect on the nature of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
The Hypostatic Union is a central doctrine in Christianity that explains how Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both fully divine and fully human in one person. This union of two natures—without confusion, change, or separation—ensures that Jesus is the perfect Savior, able to mediate between God and humanity, and to accomplish the work of salvation. It is a mystery that reveals the depths of God’s love for humanity, and it remains a cornerstone of Christian theology and worship. The Hypostatic Union affirms that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man, and this understanding has profound implications for our faith, our salvation, and our relationship with Him.