The hypostatic union is Jesus Christ,
one Person, fully God and fully man.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
In him the whole fullness of deity
dwells bodily.
Without confusion, without change,
without division, without separation.
Hypostatic union is the church’s name for what Scripture shows. Jesus is one Person. He is truly God and truly man. The Word was God, and the Word became flesh. In Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. He did not cease to be God when He took the form of a servant. He did not wear humanity as a costume. The two natures are united in the one Person without confusion, without change, without division, and without separation. That fourfold guard is the church’s summary, not a verse. It keeps the texts from being collapsed.
- Deity of Christ and humanity of Christ are the two natures. The union is the one Person who has both.
- The incarnation is the becoming. The hypostatic union is the result that remains. He is still the Word made flesh.
- Christology goes wrong when it denies the deity, denies the humanity, or mixes the natures into a third thing.
One Person. Two natures. The Word became flesh. The fullness dwells bodily. Do not divide Him into two sons, and do not melt the natures into one nature.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
In him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.
One Person. Fully God and fully man.
Without confusion, change, division, or separation.
- Hypostatic union names one Person with two natures.
- The Word was God, and the Word became flesh.
- The fullness of deity dwells in Him bodily.
- He emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant, not by ceasing to be God.
- The four guards — no confusion, change, division, or separation — protect the texts.
- Errors here distort the gospel, because the Mediator must be both.
- The Person – One. Not two sons.
- The Deity – Fully God. The Word was God.
- The Humanity – Fully man. Flesh, born of woman.
- The Union – Without confusion or change.
- The Remaining – Without division or separation.
- The Reason – A Mediator who can represent man and bear infinite worth.
- John 1:1, 14 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.”
- Colossians 2:9 – “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”
- Philippians 2:6-8 – “Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by 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.”
- Hebrews 2:14, 17 – “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things… Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest.”
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
In him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.
He emptied himself by taking the form of a servant.
One Person, fully God and fully man, without confusion, change, division, or separation.
Do not make two sons. Do not melt the natures. The Word became flesh. The fullness still dwells bodily.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.