The Creed of Chalcedon
the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union
To divide (or separate) among things, and to distinguish among the same things, are two different matters. To divide or separate things from one another means to take them apart, whereas to distinguish (or to recognize a distinction) between things is not to pull them apart but only to understand that things are made up of parts, to see the differences among the things under discussion, to see how those things belong together, and to leave them in their rightful relations.
And so our Lord has two natures—one human and the other divine. We know this to be true from Scripture’s declarations but also observe such in his miracles, teachings, and above all, his resurrection. That is, we can distinguish both natures at work in him and understand that our Savior must have both to be the God-man who can save us. But in that we see both natures and can distinguish them in his person in the gospels, we could never pull the two natures apart without destroying the one person—an unthinkable supposition to even consider. This we pondered yesterday.
What the Creed tells us now, and which we considered a few days ago, is that the union of the person in no way annuls the integrity of the two natures. They will always be distinct. They shall never become mingled or blended together turning our Lord into a tertium quid—another thing other than the God-man, or even a human being or divine being, for that matter. The two are held in harmonious relation as the fully human Jesus, animated and empowered by the Holy Spirit with whom he was filled without measure (John 3:34), always works in obedience to his Father’s will made known to him by union with the divine nature.
And so our Lord is one person with two natures—that is the classical formula, and I think it best answers the data we have from Sacred Scripture. The union of the one person does not jeopardize the two natures, nor do the natures jeopardize the union of the person. We have one God-man, and thus one Mediator between God and man—the man, Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5), who is our Lord and our God (John 20:28). Bless God for His perfect one and only Son who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven.
