Hypostatic union is how Christians explain the relationship between Jesus’ divine nature, his human nature, and his being. To incarnate means to become flesh. DOCTRINE OF THE HYPOSTATIC UNION AND KENOSIS I. Definition of terms. Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord, 144. For centuries, the church struggled to define the relationship between Jesus’ divine nature and his human nature, and numerous heretical ideas emerged to try and explain it that either compromised Jesus divine nature or reduced the significance of his humanity. At the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the church refined its definition of hypostasis to make it more clear that Jesus’ natures remained distinct, but still united in one person. It’s God in the flesh. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. However, there are also many occurrences when Christ acted on a certain attribute, but it was predicated on both His divine and human natures. For example, in His humanity He became hungry, MAT 4:2 but in His deity He never hungers, JOH 6:35. Box 1842
And Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him! The attributes of deity cannot bleed over into humanity and the attributes of humanity cannot bleed over into deity. Their attempt to undermine the nature of Christ’s deity and humanity by compromising the God-man is a complete disparagement of the totality of Christ’s life, teaching, atonement, resurrection, ascension, and His eternal state in heaven. In light of this, a proper exegesis of this section of Paul’s letter to the Philippians will provide a more accurate explanation of the kenosis theory. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. If you take away any one, there is no God. Walvoord issues this statement, “The act of kenosis…may be properly understood to mean that Christ surrendered no attribute of Deity, but that He did voluntarily restrict their independent use in keeping with His purpose of living among men and their limitations.”[3]. Perfection includes His holiness, truth, and love. The union of Christ to unglorified humanity is a necessary factor of humiliation. P.O. If we don’t understand this doctrine or how we got it, we’re left with flimsy answers to important questions--questions which become barriers to faith for some people. There are three categories of absolute attributes: Spirituality, Infinity, and Perfection. Consequently, the independent expression of His deity and the independent exercise of His divine attributes was not “a gain to be seized and held,” so that the Father’s plan for the First Advent would be neutralized. In fact, this glory was temporarily revealed on the Mount of Transfiguration, and at Gethsemane there was just a flash of that glory. The objectives of the dispensation of the hypostatic union were related to the human nature of Jesus Christ. He solved these problems from the spiritual life of His humanity by the use of the problem-solving devices. Part of the kenosis is the sustaining ministry of God the Holy Spirit to the humanity of Christ. The kenosis maintains that God, when becoming a man, divested himself of some qualities of being a man. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. Kenosis is not only a Christological issue in Orthodox theology, it has moreover to do with Pneumatology , … Within the debate of the hypostatic union of Christ, there are mainly three primary objections that emerge in opposition to this doctrinal view. But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?”. Mal 3:6 “For I, the Lord, do not change.” HEB 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” The point is that God cannot change; therefore, to rob God of any attribute would destroy His deity. Pre-Incarnate Appearances of Christ. Now, how was it, then, that Luke could say Christ grew in wisdom? Both natures fully exist in one person. For according to LUK 2:52, our Lord “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” That is a reference to His humanity inside the PPOG for His life. Hypostatic Union is the union of the two natures (Divine and human) in the person of Jesus.