Christopher M. Klukas⎮  Spring 2011

In the previous article in this series, John Pryor noted the difficulty of presenting an orthodox explanation of the doctrine of the Trinity. Similarly, much heresy has been written and taught while trying to pin down exactly how Jesus can be both fully God and fully human at the same time; a doctrine we usually refer to as “the two natures of Christ.” Article II of the 39 Articles sets out to concisely define the parameters of orthodoxy with regard to this important doctrine.

The early Church spent many years struggling to develop a correct understanding of the relationship between these two natures. Some placed too much emphasis on the divinity of Jesus. They painted a picture of Jesus that only looked like a man.  Others overemphasized Jesus’ humanity. These heresies tried to show that Jesus, the man, became the Son of God. Regardless of where the emphasis was placed, all were trying to struggle with the mind-boggling concept that Jesus could be both God and man at the same time.

These questions were finally settled by the Fourth Ecumenical Council held in the city of Chalcedon in 415 AD. The Council was called by the emperor to deal with the controversy over the Eutychian Heresy. Eutyches, the leader of this heresy, taught that Christ had only one nature and that his manhood was not consubstantial (of the same substance or essence) with ours. The Church viewed this teaching as heretical because if Jesus did not share our human nature, he could not act as our representative in his sacrifice on the cross. In the end, Eutyches was condemned and a statement of faith was drawn up to clarify the teaching of the Church with regard to the two natures of Christ.

This statement of faith, commonly known as the Chalcedonian Definition (pg. 864, BCP, 1979), bears a close resemblance to Article II of the 39 Articles. The definition makes it clear that Jesus was “of one substance (homoousios) with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin...one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; 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...” Simply put, Jesus, the Son of God, is one person with two natures.

This theological definition is simply a distillation of concepts that we can clearly see throughout scripture. Perhaps the best example of this is the prologue of the Gospel of John. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1, ESV). Here we see that the Word, Jesus, has existed from the very beginning. This verse also shows us that the Word was with God (showing some kind of interpersonal relationship) and that the Word was God (indicating that despite this interpersonal relationship, the Word and God are one). A few verses later we read that “...the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, ESV). Now we learn that this “Word” who is God “became flesh and dwelt among us.” This is exactly what Article II points to.

Another passage that supports this doctrine of two natures in one person is the Christ hymn in St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Here again we see that Jesus, who was “in the form of God,” took on human flesh and was “born in the likeness of men.”

We have seen, so far, that the concepts found in Article II are both traditional (supported by an Ecumenical Council) and Biblical, but why is this article important to us today? One main reason is set forth in the article itself. The last portion of Article II states that Jesus is, “one Christ, very God, and very Man; who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men.” For Jesus to be an acceptable substitutionary sacrifice, he had to fully share the nature of those whom he intended to redeem.

St. Gregory of Nazianzus (one of the most heroic defenders of the faith at the Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople) said, “For that which He [Jesus] has not assumed He has not healed; but that which is united to His Godhead is also saved. If only half Adam fell, then that which Christ assumes and saves may be half also; but if the whole of his nature fell, it must be united to the whole nature of Him that was begotten, and so be saved as a whole” (Epistle 51, To Cledonius the Priest Against Apollinarius). This means that if Jesus did not become fully man, he would not be able to fully redeem us. For Jesus to take our place on the cross, he had to be like us in every way, apart from sin.  What we learn from Article II is that Jesus did fully take on our human nature and because of this he was able to redeem us and “reconcile his Father to us...”

This doctrine of the Two Natures of Christ is also important to us because, through his humanity, Jesus puts an immanent face on our transcendent God. When we mention the word “God,” transcendence is the concept that most quickly jumps to mind. We often think of God as “other” and set apart. The Old Testament scriptures support this notion as no one is ever allowed to see God, lest they die.  After the fall, the only man who was ever able to see God was Moses, and Moses was only permitted to see God’s back.

All of this changes with the Incarnation. When the Son of God came into the world and took on human flesh, he was seen by thousands of people. After his resurrection, he was seen by more than five-hundred people. Jesus talked with those around him, he laid his hands on the sick and healed them, he wept over the death of his friend Lazarus. The transcendent God became immanent. Even the name Immanuel means “God with us.” Today we can still travel to the Holy Land and see the places where Jesus walked and the tomb in which his body was laid to rest. For us, the incarnate Christ makes God more personal and more approachable.

Finally, I want to point out that in taking on human flesh Jesus knows exactly what it is like to be a human. The author of the letter to the Hebrews assures us that “...we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”  At times we might be tempted to think that God doesn’t really understand us, that he can’t really know what it is like to face the temptations that we face. Jesus can understand us because he has been tempted in every way, just like us. Because of this we know that we can cry out to Jesus at any time, asking him for mercy when we fail and for the strength to stand firm in the face of temptation.

As we conclude this study of Article II, let us stand in awe as we consider this God-Man. Let us marvel at the fact that the only begotten Son of God, through whom all things were made, took on human flesh and sacrificed himself for us, that we might be reconciled with the Father. This is the God in whom we put our trust, both immanent and transcendent, fully God and fully man in one person, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ.

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The Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, and of one substance with the Father, took Man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin, of her substance: so that two whole and perfect Natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one Person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very Man; who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men.