Nature of Christ Blog 24

Common Faith between Chalcedonians and Non-Chalcedonians (2)

Blog 24

• Both of them believed that Christ has two births because He was born from the father in eternity before all ages and He was born of the virgin Mary in the fullness of the time, “Out of you shall come forth to Me, the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting” (Micah 5:2).
• Both believe that the union between the two natures did not change either one’s particular characteristics, but the human nature was honored by the divine gifts.
• Both accepted the doctrine of the full Divinity and the full Humanity of Christ.
• Both claimed that the union that happened is a mystery. Maximus the Confessor affirmed that the mystery of incarnation is only known by the Word, “To unite human nature to himself while remaining immutable, so that he might become a man, as he alone knew how, and so that he might deify humanity in union with himself.” [1]

The Chalcedonians interpreted Christ as having two natures, one divine nature and one human nature. Still, He was united in the one person of Christ through the hypostatic union (mystical union). However, no one can fully understand that union since no one can completely comprehend the nature of God.

The non-Chalcedonians claim that Christ has one nature, divinity and humanity. However, no one can fully understand this union either since no one can fully understand the nature of God. 

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[1] Maximus the Confessor, On the Cosmic Mystery of Jesus Christ, (New York: St vladimir’s seminary Press, 2003), 115.