The Christological formula

Christology
ONE NATURE OF GOD : THE WORD INCARNATE

MIAPHYSIS TOW THEO : LOGO SESARKOMENE ( Gk.)

How can one person be humnan and divine in the same time?!....

The son of Mary, and the son of God ?!...

The Church answered this difficult question three times in her reply against three heretical attacks that happened from the fifth to the seventh centuries.

1- The heresy of Nestor : He separated the two natures of The Christ, thus refusing to call St. Mary " Theotokos " the bearer of God, or the mother of God, but rather Christotokos.

2- The heresy of Eutichia : He argued that The Christ is one divine nature, and that his incarnation was imaginary. The human nature was consumed by the divine.

3- The Tom of Leo : Which differentiated between the two natures and the two wills in the person of The Christ. This error was adopted in Chalcedon..

In the Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.) St. Cyril of Alexandria. The Pope number 24 Of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, developed the Christological formula " ONE NATURE OF GOD ; THE WORD INCARNATE." The actual litreral formulation in the Greek " MIAPHYSIS TOW THEO : LOGO SESARKOMENE " This was agreed upon by all. at all places, thus becoming a CATHOLIC DOGMA, meaning it can never be changed at any time.

This formulation summarizes the Orthodox Faith concerning the nature of The Christ. It is the true expression that preserved The Faith in the person of Jesus Christ pure and true since the Apostolic age until now. The importance of this formulation is the following principle stating that: Everything which is Christological is soteriological, meaning everything concerning The Christ and who He is, has to do with our salvation.

What the Council of Ephesus rejected is that Jesus was a man united through his own will to the Word of God (The Logos). The Divine incarnation can never be an external union between a man and God. It is God Himself becoming man. He put on and took upon Himself the human nature in a Hypostatic Union, which is perfect, yet without mixture or confusion between the two natures.

What the Church rejected in the teaching of Eutichia is that the human nature was consumed by the Divine nature in the Christ resulting in one Divine nature, rendering his flesh "ethiric", or not real human.

The council of Chalcedon ( 451AD ) in attempting to refute the Eutichian heresy explained in lots of details the difference between the two natures in a way that eclipsed the Hypostatic Union, thus making The Christ as if He had two different wills resulting in two different kinds of acts. One suitable for the Divine, and

the other for the human. This will have a very detrimental impact on the Salvation of mankind. For His acts that are not related to The Logos Incarnate would not be effectual in the Salvation of mankind.

The Churches that refused The Tom of Leo adopted in the council of Chalcedon were persecuted by the Byzantine Emperors. Those Churches are: Alexandria, Ethiopia, Syria, Armenia, and India.

The other Churches that accepted the Tom of Leo are: Rome, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. The byzantine Emperors started to appoint Patriarchs in the non-chalcedonian churches against the will of these churches who continued to be loyal to their Patriarchs. This sad state of affairs resulted in having two Patriarchs in every jurisdiction : one Melkite (i.e.) appointed by the Emperor, but rejected by the people, and the other the legitimate Patriarch who was known as the " Jacobite".

However, in spite of this divisions the faithful pious Bishops and monks on both sides of the conflict continued to exchange fruitful dialogues to resolve the matter, and restore the lost harmony.

Pope Timothy II of Alexandria (e.g.) was able through his spiritual wisdom to get the Emperor to pardon the exiled Bishops who refused Chalcedon with Pope Dioscorous. He succeeded in holding a council of 500 Bishops who agreed unanimously to confess the Orthodox Faith of the Church of Alexandria. Thus reconciliation was accomplished at that council between Jerusalem, Constantinople, Antioch, and Alexandria that lasted for many years.

Pope Peter III of Alexandria (472 A.D.) accomplished unity in his days between Alexandria and the Patriarch of Constantinople "Akakios" Emperor "Zenon" consequently issued the "Henotikon" calling all Churches to accept the Orthodox teaching of the Church of Alexandria.

In the seventh century, following the serious threats from the Turks to the Byzantine Empire, Emperor Heraculus, and Sergius the Patriarch of Constantinople realized the need for unity among Christians against the new adversative Islamic power. So the

Patriarch suggested to the Emperor to add a new phrase that he thought will restore the unity of the Churches by using the term "One act of The Christ ".

In the same time "Cyrus" the Melkite Patriarch in Egypt Composed a new expression of reconciliation acceptable to the Patriarch of Constantinople. So the Emperor took the two expressions and issued an imperial declaration to that effect. But all these efforts were again condemned later by Constantinople in 681 A.D.

In the 19th. century; "Profer Ospenisky" one of the Bishops of the Church of Russia spent lots of years studying the Coptic Theology, and Liturgy and concluded that the Coptic Church is an Orthodox Church in belief and practice. He reported his findings to the Synod of the Russian Church to decide whether it is necessary to ask the Coptic Church to accept Chalcedon or not. Nothing was heard as a result. It looks like they ignored his report.

Bishop George Khadr of the Greek Orthodox Church in Antioch is now working with the Syrian Antiochian Orthodox Church to achieve unity between the Orthodox Churches. He also had a dialogue with the Coptic Orthodox Church 25 years ago.

The Union between the Divine Nature and the Human Nature which resulted into His birth in the flesh; ended into a perfect Unity in which there is no dichotomy. So after the union there is no two natures, but One of The Word Incarnate: One of two but not

two as St.Dioscorous put it in Chalcedon. This nature will do one act, and will one will, (i.e.) exactly the act of the one salvation, and the one redemption accomplished through weakness and power together, as death and resurrection together !!!.....

From St. Cyril's of Alexandria message to Akakios:

We say that the two natures united. So after the union they cannot be separated into two natures. Therefore we believe in One Nature to the Son, for He is One in spite of His incarnation and becoming man.

From St. Cyril of Alexandria to Nestor :

While the two natures that came into the true union were different, yet He became ONE CHRIST, the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. This is a Mystery that surpasses any discription or explanation.

The Mystery of mysteries ( Exacting the penalty )

Matthew 27:46

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Psalm 22:11 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

Psalm 22:12-18 - 12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

Psalm 39:10- Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.

Lamentations 3:1-16 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. 2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. 3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. 4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. 5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. 6 He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. 7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. 8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. 9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. 10 He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. 11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate. 12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. 13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. 14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day. 15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. 16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 42:18-20 Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. 19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD=S servant? 20 Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.