The errors faced by the early church in Alexandria were not just about the Trinity. There were also Christological confusions. Saint Athanasius was present and attentive for the decisions of the First Council of Nicaea (325 AD). Concerning the person and nature of Jesus Christ, the term, ὁμοούσιος (homoousios — of the same substance), was used to sort out the heresies. But, the wisdom of man thinks itself wiser than the wisdom of God.
The third section could almost be its own creed. It deals with Jesus’ incarnation. The two natures in the one person of Christ are on full display here.
In the Athanasian Creed we reject Eutychianism, that Jesus’ human and divine natures merged into a new, different nature. We also reject Nestorianism, that the two natures of Christ are not unified in His person. And, we reject the Gnostic notion that we will be free from matter and our bodies, specifically in the next life. These heresies or errors generally arise from an attempt to fill in the blanks of the mysteries of God with our human reason. That is not a good practice in which we should engage. Some things are known to us. And some are not yet revealed.
The Eutychians held that Jesus’ human and divine natures merged into a new, different nature. In their intent to firmly state the unity of God and man in Christ, they created a different thing. The Eutychian Jesus must be separate from the Trinity because he is of a different substance. His human and divine natures make him a new unique thing that is neither God nor man. Since it is not either, it cannot be truly God.
“But pastor, why does that matter?” That’s a perfectly fair question. Only God can atone for all the sin of all of mankind. We know that Jesus died for our sins, each and every one, and all together. So, our understanding of the nature of Christ has to allow for that truth to remain constant. Instead we confess, “our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time both God and man.”
The Nestorians found the other ditch. Like the brilliant Vizzini from the movie: The Princess bride, “clearly I cannot choose the cup in front of you.” If the complete unity of the two natures into a new nature is wrong, then the two natures of Christ must not be unified in His person. This creates a host of new potential misunderstandings. Does Jesus retain his humanity? Did Jesus remain human throughout His ministry, life, death, and resurrection? Did God depart from the man, Jesus, at any point? The answers to those questions in many cases are their own unique error, which we may discuss at another time.
The rubber meets the road here. On the cross God turned his back on Jesus, who is also God. On the cross God, the Son, died for our sins. And, God the Son was raised to life again. All of the hows, whys, and wherefores are not for us to know. We’re given exactly what we need to understand and trust completely that our sin was atoned for on Calvary.
“He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ: one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh, but by the assumption of the humanity into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.”
The Gnostics had a notion that we will be free from matter and our bodies one day. Specifically, we will be only spiritual in the next life. The taking up of Enoch and Elijah bodily into heaven speaks against this. Job’s confession that he will see God face-to-face with his own eyes does too. Mary Magdalene confesses the resurrection to Jesus just before he restores Lazarus to life. In the resurrection, Jesus eats and drinks with His disciples and invites them to touch Him. He is with them bodily, not spiritually.
In the Christian faith, we live in the certainty of knowing that the resurrection is a promise for us that will be whole and complete. This is a challenge especially at the time of death of our own loved ones. We want to know that everything is complete for them. We want to know that they are “in a better place.” Yet, the Bible teaches us that it isn’t quite done yet. The promise of Salvation isn’t full and complete until we are resurrected in our bodies to eternal life. We confess the resurrection of our bodies! “At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies.”
Instead of intellectualizing the complex into a way that makes sense, we are better served by acknowledging the witness given by scripture. Some things are clear and known to us. Other mysteries are not revealed to us in this life. But, we can know with certainty that all of the things pertinent to our Salvation are clear and known.
Dear Baptized, let us praise the one Christ, truly God and truly man for our salvation!
Thanks be to God!
Read the conclusion to the Athanasian Creed next.
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX
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