Chapter 3: The Person of Christ Flashcards
(23 cards)
Nestorius
(†451) – patriarch of Constantinople;
trained in Antiochean school;
fought hard and well against Apollinarianism
Nestorianism
Mary is Only the mother of the HUMAN PERSON Jesus (Theotokos to Christokos);
two natures (physis), two subjects (hypostasis), Two “Physical” Persons (prosopon) so Closely Linked that it is AS IF the TWO persons are ONE;
for Nestorius, Every Nature Constitutes a SUBJECT and PERSON.
St. Cyril of Alexandria
Responded to Nestorius with 2 Letter of Correction - Nestorius rejected
Presented at Council of Ephesus - Considered Doctrinal Content of Council
Cyril Letter presented at Council of Ephesus
“Christ is ONE SUBJECT only (hypostasis) and ONE PERSON only (prosopon); he who is God is also man, through a Union of Divine Nature (physis) and a Human Nature. Therefore, MARY is TRULY Mother of God…; Christ is the Son of God… [not] a divinized man and an adoptive son of God; Christ’s flesh is life-giving (an implicit reference to the Eucharist), because it is the flesh of the Word; Christ should be Worshiped with ONE ADORATION, and not worshipped as God and separately as man; to the Person of the Word should be ATTRIBUTED not only the DIVINE ACTIONS but also the HUMAN ACTIONS and PASSIONS of Jesus”
Council of Ephesus
- 431 A.D.
- Called by Theodosius II
- Presided over by Cyril
- approved Cyril’s 2nd Letter
“mia physis”
“one nature” - inexact terminology used by Cyril but not in a way to deny 2 Distinct Natures of Christ
- borrowed from St. Athanasius
Formula of Union
- (433 A.D.) After Ephesus
- Sixtus III
- To Resolve continued controversy between Antioch and Alexandria
Testimony of New Testament
- Jn. 1:14
- Jn. 3:13
- Jn. 17:5
- Phil. 2:6
- Eph. 4:10
John 1:14
“The Word became flesh…”
- the Word (which is God according to vv. 1-2) Cannot Change into something else, so the SAME Word must ASSUME flesh.
John 3:13
“No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended…”;
- Augustine: he who ascends as man is the one who descended as God.
John 17:5
“…glorify ME in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made”
- “me” refers to Christ in his HUMAN NATURE and “I” refers to the GLORIOUS DIVINITY that the Son enjoyed before the Incarnation.
Philippians 2:6
“Though he was in the form of God…”.
Ephesians 4:10
“[Christ] who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens”
- descent = burial;
- ascended = resurrection and ascension.
Testimony of the Fathers
Even before Cyril expressed Christ’s Union of Natures as ONE PERSON
- Tertullian (†223)
- St. Gregory of Nazianzen (†390)
- St. Augustine
- St. Ephraim of Antioch
- St. Leonitis of Byzantium
- Boethius
Tertullian (†223)
“…we see Two States (=NATURES) with no confusion, but, rather, UNITED in ONE PERSON, God and man, Jesus.”
St. Gregory of Nazianzen (†390)
“Although he had two natures, God and man, and the man is body and soul, they are NOT however TWO SONS or TWO GODS…. So, in the Savior there are two different things, but NOT TWO INDIVIDUALS”.
Monophysitism
ONE NATURE (mono-physis);
overemphasis of Cyril’s teaching against Nestorius
3 Types of Monophysitism
1) Divine Nature completely ABSORBS and ANNIHILATES the Human Nature,
2) Christ’s nature is a Special DIVINE-HUMAN Nature that is something UNIQUE and Brand New,
3) a Reversion to APOLLINARIUS, that the Divine Nature enters into a COMPOSITIONAL MIX with the Human Nature (a Confusion of Natures).
Eutyches
archimandrite in Constantinople;
Christ is a person OF Two Natures, but NOT IN Two Natures; used the misleading “mia physis” text from Cyril’s definition and said Christ was IN ONE NATURE;
condemned by Flavian (patriarch in Const.) in 448.
Pope St. Leo I
- approved Flavian’s actions
- wrote the Dogmatic Letter LECTIS DILECTONIS TUAE (449) (known also as the TOME of St. Leo.)
Dioscorus
asked for a new council which he presided over;
condemned the Tome and reinstated Eutyches;
the pope condemned the Council (Latrocinium of Ephesus).
Council of Chalcedon
451 A.D.
- solemnly defined the HYPOSTATIC UNION
- Aimed at MONOPHYSITISM, but covers:
- Arianism - Affirms that Christ IS DIVINE
- Apollinarism - Implies Christ is FULLY HUMAN
- Nestorianism - Affirms Christ is ONE PERSON and SUBJECT
Solemn Definition of Hypostatic Union
“The Differences of Natures [in Christ] will NEVER BE ABOLISHED by their Being United, but rather the properties of each REMAIN UNIMPAIRED, both coming together in ONE PERSON (prosopon) and SUBSTANCE (hypostasis), not parted or divided among two persons (prosopa), but in ONE and the SAME Only-begotten Son, the divine Word, the Lord Jesus Christ…”.
- affirms Christ’s 2 Natures UNITED but DISTINCT and UNIMPAIRED
