The Hypostatic Union?

Question

Can someone please explain the Hypostatic Union to me?

Answer 1

God Is Three Persons. The fact that God is three persons means that the Father is not the Son; they are distinct persons. It also means that the Father is not the Holy Spirit, but that they are distinct persons. And it means that the Son is not the Holy Spirit. In addition to the fact that all three persons are distinct, the abundant testimony of Scripture is that each person is fully God as well. Scripture is abundantly clear that there is one and only one God. The three different persons of the Trinity are one not only in purpose and in agreement on what they think, but they are one in essence, one in their essential nature. In other words, God is only one being. There are not three Gods. There is only one God.

The duality of Christ's nature, human and divine, cannot be fully and definitively answered. If we could, we would possess divine minds ourselves. That said, we theologians have made progress at trying to understand the concepts of the Trinity of God and God the Son's role in that Trinitarian doctrine. There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties. Jesus clearly stated his divinity in

Joh 8:58: Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."

Or

Mar 14:61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"
Mar 14:62 And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
Mar 14:63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, "What further witnesses do we need?
Mar 14:64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?" And they all condemned him as deserving death.

As you can see, the high priest fully understood that Jesus was claiming that He was in fact God. Some knowledge of the original Greek is warranted here, particularly the term, "Son the blessed". But there is no doubt that Christ was claiming to be God. The Jews hearing his claim understood exactly what He was saying and planned to stone Him.

In short, Jesus’ human nature could be tempted. He thirsted, hungered, and at times was full of righteous anger. Yet He never sinned. If He did, we are all lost and God is not God. Christ also was God with all of God's attributes, and these two natures existed in a hypostatic (fundamental state) union.

I doubt I can improve upon the discussion of Christ's dual nature that is found at http://www.carm.org/doctrine/2natures.htm