Don Stewart :: What Are Some Common Misconceptions about the Two Natures of Christ?

There are a number of misconceptions about Christ's dual nature, or the hypostatic union, that need to be addressed. They are as follows

1. God Did Not Turn Into A Human Being

The Bible does not teach that God turned into a human. Jesus remained God during his entire time on the earth as well as today. Actually it would be impossible for God to cease being God. God, by definition, is eternal. He had no beginning and will have no end. It is impossible for him to cease to exist.

2. Jesus Is Not Merely A Man Of God

The hypostatic union does not mean that Jesus was merely a man of God. While he was a man of God in the ultimate sense of the term he was much more than that. He was the God-Man - God in human flesh.

3. God Did Not Live In A Body

The hypostatic union does not mean that Jesus simply lived in a human body. He was thoroughly human with all the limitations of a human body. Jesus had a human nature as well as a divine nature.

4. It Is Not The Same As The Virgin Birth

The hypostatic union is not the same as the virgin birth. The virgin birth speaks of the manner in which Jesus came into the world. The hypostatic union refers to the fact that Christ was fully God and fully human. It is a result of the virgin birth but not the same thing as the virgin birth.

5. It Is Not The Same As The Incarnation

The hypostatic union is not the same as the incarnation. The incarnation refers to the entire story of God the Son become a human being. The hypostatic union is merely one part of the story of Jesus becoming human.

6. It Was Not A Theophany

The hypostatic union is not a theophany. A theophany is the appearance of God in a human body. There were a number of occasions of this occurring that the Old Testament records. What the hypostatic union and theophanies have in common is the idea that God took on a human body. However, the hypostatic union occurred only once whereas there have been several theophanies recorded in Scripture.

In addition, the theophanies were temporary appearances of God in a body. Each one lasted for only a short period of time. When Jesus came to earth in a human body that lasted approximately thirty years. His resurrected body is permanent. The union of the two natures in Jesus Christ is permanent.

Summary

There are a number of misconceptions about the hypostatic union that need to be addressed. The union of the two natures of Christ does not mean that God turned into a human being. Neither does it mean that Jesus was merely a man of God. The idea of the union of Christ's two natures does not mean that God merely took on a human body.