Nature of Christ

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... The Word became flesh, and lived among us... (Extracts from John 1)

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Synopsis

The Bible tells us that Jesus is God in human flesh (John 1:1 and John 1:14). This doctrine is called the hypostatic union and was especially defined by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. Jesus is not half God and half man. He is fully divine and fully man. Understanding this completely is not possible in this life. Disagreements regarding Christ's nature have occurred since the times of the early church causing considerable tension at times. The disagreements have included Nestorianism in which Jesus is considered to not only have two natures but essentially two persons and monophysitism where Jesus is thought to have only one nature.

Related topics

• Christology
• Jesus: Our Lord and God
• Jesus: The man
• Heresies - Nestorianism | Arianism | Monophysitism | Miaphysitism
• Character of God
• Trinity

Comments, Personal Articles, Studies and Sermons

Nature of Christ (discussion) (For short comments and opinions)

• Jesus' two natures (CARMPedia)
• The True Jesus (carm)

For related quotations see Nature of Christ (quotes)

Article

The Bible tells us that Jesus is God in human flesh (John 1:1 and John 1:14). This doctrine is called the hypostatic union and was especially defined by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. Jesus is not half God and half man. He is fully divine and fully man. Understanding this completely is not possible in this life. Disagreements regarding Christ's nature have occurred since the times of the early church causing considerable tension at times. The disagreements have included Nestorianism in which Jesus is considered to not only have two natures but essentially two persons and monophysitism where Jesus is thought to have only one nature.

Christological Controversies of the 4th and 5th century

Monophysitism

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