Hypostatic Union

[Rella]

A Brother from elsewhere posted this and I thought it might be interesting to discuss ...

by: Binyawmene (Posted with permission)

Hypostatic Union is a doctrine that was coin by Cyril of Alexandria

For the Word of God, as we have said already, was made hypostatically one in flesh, yet he is God of all and he rules all; but he is not the slave of himself, nor his own Lord. (a snip from the letter of Cyril to Nestorius)�

You can also read the whole letter in both Council of Ephesus and Chalcedon. This doctrine teaches God incarnate, that Jesus Christ is both God and man. The Word/Son, second person in the Trinity, who became flesh and have two natures. So, the phrase "one in the flesh" emphasizes that Jesus Christ, the Son, took on human nature and became incarnate. He became one with humanity by taking on a human body (flesh).

The Greek word "hypostasis" is also found in Hebrews 1:3.

Subsistence is Latin or substo, sub means "under" and sto means "to stand," while the same word has the same meaning in the Greek is a hypostasis, from huper which means "under" and histayme which means "to stand". In other words, both subsistence and hypostasis would be the underpinning, underlying, or foundation. And this gives the notion of "that which subsists in and by another or subsistence". It's the reality that lies underneath a substance that gives its existence. Therefore, a hypostatic "is the real underlying reality (or essential intrinsic inherent fundamental basis) of factual existence".

�

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

I found a hysteric onion once.  Once I started cutting that thing, there was no end to the crying. 

[Rella]

I found a hysteric onion once.  Once I started cutting that thing, there was no end to the crying. 

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

Ok, so to address the post seriously...

The idea of Forms and Hypostases is at the core of Platonic and Neo-Platonic thought.  Inserting Greek philosophy into our understanding of the Bible is a bit uncomfortable.  To what extent did Greek thought influence Jewish thought?  Or was it vice versa?

Plato lived 300 years before Jesus... but he wasn't the saviour of the world.

[Rella]

Ok, so to address the post seriously...

The idea of Forms and Hypostases is at the core of Platonic and Neo-Platonic thought.  Inserting Greek philosophy into our understanding of the Bible is a bit uncomfortable.  To what extent did Greek thought influence Jewish thought?  Or was it vice versa?

Plato lived 300 years before Jesus... but he wasn't the saviour of the world.

No, but Plato was not two in one either. As I understand this
Jesus has two complete natures: one fully human and one fully divine. That the doctrine of the hypostatic union teaches is that these two natures are united in one person in the God-man. Jesus is not two persons. He is one person. The hypostatic union is the joining (mysterious though it be) of the divine and the human in the one person of Jesus.

But  opinion time?

Can this be so?

I originally thought that coming in the form of a man that His Godly side was not part of him.

That seemed to make sense when He , Himself would pray to the Father.