“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your house.” Acts 16:30-31
While we rejoice in the Lord that all who believe in the Lord Jesus will be saved, it is disturbing that many who profess faith in Jesus do not believe in the Jesus of the Bible. That is why we are continuing with a short series in hopes of answering the question, “Who is the Jesus of the Bible?” The bulk of the content in this series comes from papers I wrote when studying Systematic Theology in seminary in 2001.
This time we will continue addressing the third of three basic errors regarding the person of Christ.
3. Errors Affecting the Integrity of the Person of Christ. There are several errors that affect the integrity of the Person of Christ. The early Church vacillated back and forth on this point, missing the fact that Jesus has two distinct natures integrated into one Person. These two natures are not to be combined into one nature, or separated into two persons or personalities.
a. Nestorianism was named for its chief proponent, Nestorius (A.D. 386-451), the Patriarch of Constantinople. This error was an effort to counter the error of Apollinarianism (divine spirit in a human body, but not human), but it went too far. This heresy teaches that the two natures of Christ are two persons. This error was condemned at the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431.
b. Eutychianism was named for its chief proponent Eutychus (A.D. 378–452), a presbyter of Constantinople. This error ventured back toward Apollinarianism, teaching that Jesus’s divine nature overshadowed or swallowed up His human nature. This error was condemned by the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451
c. Monothelitism comes from two Greek words: mono, meaning one; and theletes, meaning one that wills. This error is regarding the will of Christ. Monothelites could not accept the concept of Christ’s two natures each having a distinct will in one Person. Therefore, they asserted that Jesus’s human will was not merely subject to the will of the Father, but was not a separate will at all. This error was condemned by the Third Council of Constantinople in 681, affirming the orthodox position that Jesus has two natures and two wills in one Person.
The biblical understanding of the Person of Christ was stated by the Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451), which concluded that Jesus is one Person, fully divine and fully human at the same time. His two natures are distinct. They must not be co-mingled into one nature, or separated into two persons, or personalities. He has two distinct wills which are never in conflict, both committed to doing the will of God the Father. Jesus, the Word incarnate, assumed perfect humanity in order to save fallen humanity. He could not have saved us unless he was fully God and fully man.
The all-important Council of Chalcedon reaffirmed the creeds of Nicaea and Constantinople, condemning the false doctrines of Nestorius and Eutychus. The council affirmed the single personality of Christ and the authenticity and perfection of both His natures, human and divine.