The Incarnation of the Son of God

    The Incarnation of the Son of God

The orthodox position concerning the incarnation of Christ was formulated at the Council of Chalcedon (A.D.451). Although no positive explanation is offered concerning the mechanism of the union of God and man in Christ, it is helpful in what is stated from the negative.

“Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood [not two persons but of two natures], truly God and truly man [preexistent and unchanging as God], consisting also of a reasonable soul and body [created as man in time and space with a human body, human soul, and a rational human spirit]; 0ne of substance with the Father as regards His Godhead [He retains all of the divine attributes both communicable and incommunicable], and at the same time of one substance as us as regards His manhood [He has emotions, passions, and desires, He experiences physical sensations]; like us in all respects apart from sin; as regards His Godhead  begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards His manhood,  for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion [His two natures are in perfect union (identical) as regards the communicable aspects of God like love, justice, truth and holiness, while each retains unto itself those characteristics that are not communicable to one another such as in His Godhead; aseity (self existence). Simplicity (indivisibility), necessity (non-contingency), immutability (unchangeability), impassability (without passions), eternity (nontemporality), immensity (infinity), unity (oneness), omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence] without change [each nature retains its integrity], without division [perfectly in harmony] without separation [forever united]; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one Person and substance, not as parted or separated into two Persons, but one and the same Son and only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ;” [his human nature Is not swallowed up by his Divine nor is His Divine nature limited (except voluntarily) by His human, He is one person with two distinct intact noncontradictory perfectly harmonious and complimentary natures and two distinct wills (one human and one divine)].