Nature of Christ Blog 20

Chalcedonians and Non-Chalcedonians (2)

Blog 20

On the other hand, the non-Chalcedonians operated a self-subsistent hypostasis and a non-self-subsistent hypostasis. Severus of Antioch said that the humanity of Christ has no person in itself (non-self-subsistent hypostasis) and that the divinity of Christ is a self-subsistent hypostasis. Also, because of the union between the divinity and the humanity, Christ became a self-subsistent hypostasis, “Though the hypostasis of God the Word … being eternally with God … yet still the flesh possessing an intelligent soul which he united to him did not exist before the union with him, nor was a distinct person assigned to it… Humanity of Christ (flesh) belongs to the Word in a similar manner to the possession of the body by the soul of a man. This humanity does not have a human person attached to it, but it is hypostatic and it is a real human individual. Still, the only person who owns this human hypostasis is God the Word.” [1]

Non-Chalcedonians distinguish between the works of the divinity and the works of humanity, but both refer to the one Christ.

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[1] Fr Peter Farrington, Hypostasis in St Severus of Antioch, accessed March 28,2019, https://orthodoxjointcommission.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/hypostasis-in-st-severus-of-antioch/