This is the false doctrine of the Nestorians. They maintained that the two natures, divinity and humanity, in Christ are ever distinct and separate, for a person can never possess two natures. They reasoned that if there are two natures, there must be two persons. Therefore, they over-divided the two natures in Christ even to the extent of saying that there are two distinct beings-God and man-in the one body of Christ. The third general council which assembled at Ephesus in A.D. 431 rejected this doctrine as improper.
The teaching of the Nestorians is also evidently contrary to the biblical revelation. In the Old Testament the Bible shows us that the ark of testimony, which typifies Christ, is made of wood and overlaid with gold-it is a product of two natures. Gold typifies Christ’s divine nature, while wood typifies His human nature. Although gold and wood are of two distinct natures, they were united as one to become an ark. This indicates that although Christ possesses two natures, divinity and humanity, He is still one; and His two natures, though each being distinct, are not separate, but rather united into one. Although Christ has both divinity and humanity, the two natures have become one Person-it is not one body consisting of two persons, God and man.
This is the wrong teaching of the Eutychians. They denied the distinctness and coexistence of Christ’s divinity and humanity, but asserted that the two natures were merged into one, which is neither divine nor human, but a third nature resulting through the merging of divinity and humanity-the divinity being dominant, with the humanity being absorbed by the divinity. Hence the Eutychians were also known as the Monophysites. Their teaching was rejected in the fourth general council at Chalcedon in A.D. 451.
Eutychianism also contradicts the Scripture. In the Old Testament, the Bible shows that the meal offering which typifies Christ consists of oil mingled with fine flour (Lev. 2:4; Exo. 29:40). Oil which typifies the Holy Spirit is related to Christ’s divine nature, while fine flour which typifies Christ’s behavior is related to His human nature. Although oil and fine flour are mingled into one, they are still two in nature-they are not merged into one to become a third nature. But Eutyches maintained that the two natures of Christ, divinity and humanity, were merged into one and became a third nature, just like an acid nature being mixed with an alkali nature becomes a neutral nature. The two natures of Christ, divinity and humanity, are mingled into one body like oil mingled with fine flour; when mixed they do not become one nature as transpires when an acidic and an alkaline substance are mixed.
This is the proper teaching of the orthodox school. After the aforementioned four general councils, the fifth general council was assembled in Constantinople in A.D. 553 where all those of the orthodox school acknowledged that Christ has both divinity and humanity, each being complete but united in the body of one person-without separation, without confusion, and without being changed into a new nature. Our Lord is definitely the Son of God and the Son of Man as well. He is the perfect God and a complete man as well. He is truly God and truly man, and He is both God and man. He has perfect divinity as well as complete humanity. The two natures in Him are neither confused nor separated. Although He has two natures, still He is one person. His Person cannot be divided, and His natures may not be confused. This is the proper revelation as shown in the entire Holy Word of God; this is also the orthodox view of the church of God through the ages. Our Lord who is both God and man, one person with two natures, without separation and without confusion is truly a mystery of mysteries and is worthy to receive our worship and praise forever!