Monday in the Thirty-Third Week of Ordinary Time

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.

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor

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