Page 40 - Christology - Student Textbook

Study Section 9: Hypostatic Union in Jesus Christ

9.1. Connect.

Hypostatic union is concerned with “The union of the Divine and human natures in the One
Person (‘Hypostasis’) of Jesus Christ. It was elaborated by St. Cyril of Alexandria and formally
accepted by the Church in the Definition of Chalcedon (451).” This doctrine is clearly taught
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in the Bible. But various scholars have confused the meaning of hypostasis. Some argue that
the divine and the human nature got mixed and produced another person. Some argue that certain
elements of the humanity got absorbed completely into the Divine Logos. Let’s study this term and
see if we can clarify its meaning….

9.2. Objectives.

1. The student should be able to explain some false teachings on the hypostatic union of Jesus
Christ.

2. The student should be able to discuss the response of church councils throughout history
to many of these false teachings.

3. The student should be able to draw a conclusion to the biblical definition of the hypostatic union
of Jesus Christ.

9.3. Two Natures in One Person; Jesus Christ

Inadequate Theories to the Scriptural (Orthodox) Teaching on the Hypostatic Union in Jesus Christ

Based on the Chalcedonian Creed, Wayne Grudem defines Hypostatic Union as follows:

“When the Chalcedonian Definition says that the two natures of Christ occur together “in one
Person and one Subsistence,” the Greek word translated as “Subsistence” is the word
hypostasis, meaning “being.” Hence the union of Christ’s human and divine natures in one person is
sometimes called the hypostatic union. This phrase simply means the union of Christ’s human and
divine natures in one being.
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Apollinarianism
One of the errant teachings about the hypostatic union was postulated
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by the bishop of Laodicea; Apollinaris. His teaching was known as
Apollinarianism. He taught, “one person of Christ had a human body
but not a human mind or spirit, and that the mind and spirit of Christ
were from the divine nature of the Son of God.”
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111 Cross and Livingstone, Dictionary of the Christian Church, 813.

112 Grudem, Systematic Theology, 558
113 Ibid., 554.

114 Ibid.

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