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The Nature
of the
Union: Union
Without Mingling, Confusion, Alteration or Transmutation:
BY "one
Nature", we mean a real union. This does not involve
mingling as of wheat and barley, nor confusion as of wine
and water or milk and tea. Moreover, no change occurred as
in the case of chemical reaction. For example carbon
dioxide consists of carbon and oxygen, and the nature of
both changes when they are combined; each loses its
properties which distinguished it before the unity. In
contrast, no change occurred in the Divine or Human nature
as a result of their unity.
Furthermore, unity between the two natures occurred
without transmutation. Thus, neither did the Divine nature
transmute to the human nature, nor did the human nature,
transmute to the Divine nature. The Divine nature did not
mix with the human nature nor mingle with it, but it was a
unity that led to Oneness of Nature.
The
Example of the Union of Iron and Fire:
St.,
Cyril the Great used this analogy and so did St.
Dioscorus. In the case of ignited iron, we do not say that
there are two natures: iron and fire, but we say iron
united with fire. Similarly, we speak about the nature of
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate God, and we do not
say "God and man". In the union of iron with fire, the
iron is not changed into fire nor fire into iron. Both are
united without mingling, confusion or alteration. Although
this situation is not permanent in the case of iron, and
here is the point of disagreement, but we only want to say
that once iron is ignited with fire, it continues to
retain all the properties of iron and all the properties
of fire. Likewise, the nature of the Incarnate Logos is
One Nature, having all the Divine characteristics and the
entire human as well.
The
Example of the Union between the Soul and the Body:
This
example was used by St. Cyril, St. Augustine
and a large number of ancient and recent theologians. In
this simile, the nature of the soul unites with the
physical earthly nature of the body to form a union of one
nature, which is the human nature. This united nature does
not include the body alone nor the soul alone but both
together are combined without mixing, confusion,
alteration or transmutation. No transmutation occurs of
the soul into the body nor of the body into the soul, yet
do both become one in essence and in nature, so we say
that this is one nature and one person. Hence, if we
accept the idea of the unity between the soul and the body
in one nature, why do we not accept the unity of the
Divine and the human into one Nature?! Here we’d like to
raise an important question regarding the One Nature and
the
Two
Natures: Do we not all admit that the nature which we call
Human Natures contained before the unity two Natures: the
soul and the body? Yet, those who claim that there are two
natures in Christ: a divine and a human do not mention the
two natures of manhood i.e. the soul and the body but
consider them one.
If we go
into details we would find ourselves before three natures
in Christ!!! The Divinity, the soul and the body, and each
of them have its distinct entity and essence... Of course,
this is unacceptable on both sides. When we accept the
union of the soul and the body in one nature in Christ,
and when we use the expression theologically, it becomes
easier for us to use the expression "One Nature of Christ"
or "One Nature of God, the Incarnate Logos". Just as we
say that the human nature is one nature consisting of two
elements or natures, we can also say about the Incarnate
Logos, that He is one entity of two elements or natures.
If the Divine nature is claimed to differ from the human
nature, how then do they unite?
The reply
is that the nature of the soul is fundamentally different
from the nature of the body, yet it is united with it in
one nature, which is the human nature. Although man is
formed of these two natures, we never say that He is two,
but one person. All man’s acts are attributed to this one
nature and not to the soul alone or to the body alone.
Thus when we want to say that a certain individual ate, or
became hungry, or slept, or felt pain, we do not say that
it is his body which ate, or became hungry, or got tired
or slept or felt pain. All man’s acts are attributed to
him as a whole and not only to his body.
Similarly,
all the acts of Christ were attributed to him as a whole
and not to His Divine nature alone (independently) or to
His human nature alone. This was explained by Leo in the
Council of Chalcedon. The union of the soul and body is an
intrinsic real union, a Hypostatic one. So is the union of
the Divine nature of Christ with the human nature in the
Virgin’s Womb. It is a hypostatic union, self-essential
and real and not a mere connection, then separation as
Nestorius claimed.
Though the
example of the union of the soul and body in the human
nature is inclusive, still it is incomplete as it does not
explain how the soul departs the body by death nor how
they reunite again in the resurrection. But as for the
unity of the Divine and human natures of Christ, it is an
inseparable union as the Divine nature never departed the
human nature for one single moment.
The
Unity of Nature and the Birth of Christ
To whom
did the Virgin give Birth? Did she give birth to the
Godhead only? Did she give birth to the manhood only? Did
she give birth to God and man or did she give birth to the
Incarnate God? It is impossible to say that she gave birth
to God alone; because she gave birth to a Child who was
seen by everybody, nor did she gave birth to man only (or
a pure human nature), otherwise we revert to the heresy of
Nestorius. What does the Bible mean by saying, "The Holy
Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest
will overshadow you, therefore, also, that Holy One who is
to be born of you will be called the Son of God. “(Luke.
1:35)? Again, what is the meaning of the verse stating
that the Son shall be named Emanuel which is interpreted
"Goal with us." (Matt. 1:23)? And what is the meaning of
Isaiah’s words: "for unto us a Child is born, unto Us a
Son is given and the government will be upon His shoulder,
and His Name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty
God, Everlasting, Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6).
Therefore, He (Christ) is not just a man, but the Son of
God, Emanuel and the Mighty God. The Virgin did not give
birth to a man and God, otherwise she would be said to
have had two sons: one being God and the other, man. We
are thus left with the evidence that she gave birth to the
"Incarnate God." Christ is not two Sons, one the Son of
God to be adored, and the other a man and not to be
worshipped. We can not separate between the Divine and the
human nature of Christ. As stated by St. Athanasius the
Apostolic regarding the Lord Jesus Christ, he is not
bi-natured, to one we kneel down and to the other we do
not, but He is rather of One Nature – the Incarnate Logos
- that is one with His Body and before whom we kneel down
in one genuflection, Therefore, our worship is not offered
to the Divine nature apart from the human nature. There is
no separation and consequently, all worship is to the
Incarnate God. The Lord Jesus is the Only-Begotten Son,
Who was born from the essence of the Father before all
ages. He Himself is the same Son of Man who became the
first born among many brothers (Rom. 8:29). According to
one of the fathers, He was born from the Father before all
ages without a mother, and was born from a Virgin in the
fullness of time without an earthly father. Hence St. Paul
the Apostle said: "But when the fullness of time was come,
God sent His Son, born of a woman, according to Law.
“(Gal. 4:4). Therefore, He who was born of the Virgin was
the Son of God and at the same time the Son of Man as He
used to call Himself.
The Son
(the Logos) filled the womb of the Holy Virgin, took from
her His human nature and then she delivered Him. This
differs from what Nestorius claimed that the Virgin gave
birth to an ordinary man and that later on, God dwelt in
this man or filled Him or that Christ just became a
Theophorus (a carrier of God) without a hypostatic union.
For this reason we worship this born Child and say to Him
in the Trisagion hymn: "Holy is God, Holy is the Almighty,
Holy is the Ever-living, who was born of the Virgin, have
mercy upon us". This conforms to the words of the holy
angel who told the Virgin: "The Holy One born of you is
called the Son of God". In Christ, the Divine nature was
united with the human nature in the womb of the Virgin.
That is why when the Virgin visited Elizabeth,
the blessed old woman said to her; "And whence is this to
me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me.” (Lk.
1:43). At that time St. Mary was still pregnant and yet,
was entitled "The Mother of God". The Creed states: "We
believe in one God, Jesus Christ, and the Only-Begotten
Son (of God), who was born before all ages... who for us
(we human beings) and for our salvation descended from
heaven and was conceived of the Holy Spirit and of the
Virgin Mary, became Man and was crucified for our sake. He
suffered, was buried and rose..." Therefore, this
Only-Begotten Son is the same One who descended from
Heaven and was incarnated. He is God Himself who descended
into the Virgin’s womb and was incarnated. This opposes
Nestorius’ claim that he was originally man and that God
dwelt in Him after His Birth! The One who was incarnated
was originally the Only-Begotten Son of God born before
all ages. Thus He was able to say to the Jews while
speaking to them, "Before Abraham was, I am." (John.
8:58). He did not say, "My Divine nature existed even
before Abraham", but He said, "I am" which proves the
unity and Oneness of His Nature.
Possibility
of such Unity
This
unity between the Divine nature and the human nature is
possible, otherwise it would not have been fulfilled, it
was known to God ever since the world began: He has
preconceived and planned it through His fore - knowledge
of what man needed for his salvation. For this reason St.
Paul the Apostle said about the Incarnation of the Lord
Jesus: "According to the revelation of the mystery, which
was kept secret since the world began, but now is made
manifest.” (Rom. 16:2~5).
There is
also a contemplation by one of the fathers on the verse
"eye has not seen, nor ear heard nor have entered into the
heart of man the things which God has prepared for those
who love Him." (1 Cor. 2:9), which refers to eternal
happiness; that father said the things that had not
entered into the heart of man were the Incarnation of God
(becoming man), His crucifixion and His death for our sake
in order to redeem and purchase us with His precious
Blood. Another father said that the presence of God among
His creation takes 3 forms: either general existence due
to His being present everywhere, or through His Grace
bestowed On His Saints, while the third unique form which
happened only once, is His consubstantiality with Christ
when the Divine nature united with the human nature in the
Virgin’s womb.
The
One Nature of the Incarnate Logos:
It is One
Nature (one entity) but has all the properties of two
natures: It has all the properties of the Divine nature
and all those of the human nature. In this One Nature, the
body was not transmuted to the Divine nature but remained
as a body, the body of God the Logos. The Logos also was
not transmuted to be a human nature but remained as it is
the Divine nature though united with a body. His Divine
nature is not susceptible to death while His human nature
is liable to die. Both the Divine and the human natures
united in essence in the Hypostasis and in nature without
separation. No separation occurred between the Divine
nature and the human nature at Christ’s death: As we say
in the Syrian Fraction, concerning the death of Christ
"The soul left the body but His Divinity never departed
neither from His Soul nor from His Body. His Soul
likewise, whilst united with His Godhead, descended into
hell to preach those who died in the faith and to open to
them the gates of Paradise and let them enter. Yet His
Body, also united with His Godhead, remained in the grave.
“On the third day His soul, united with His Godhead, came
to unite with His body which was also united with His
Godhead; thus resurrection took place. Consequently, the
Incarnate God raised from the dead was capable of coming
out of the tomb while it was closed and sealed by a huge
stone. It was also possible for the One Lord to enter
through the closed doors and meet with His disciples
(John. 20:19). Did He enter through the closed doors by
His Divine nature or by His human nature? Is not this an
evidence of the One ‘Nature? and which one came out of the
tomb? Was it the Divine nature, the human nature, or
Christ the Incarnate Logos? We are not dealing here with
two natures: God and a man, for this expression signifies
two and not one, and the term "Two" does not ever denote
unity. A Union, actually, cannot be separated into two.
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