His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks in this lecture about the Coptic Orthodox Church’s doctrine regarding the Nature of the Lord Christ, clarifying the core belief in the union of divinity and humanity in one person — the incarnate Word of God. He also presents the history of the heresies that opposed this doctrine and the Orthodox position toward them.

Main Idea

According to Orthodox faith, Christ is “the incarnate divine Word,” perfect in His divinity and perfect in His humanity. The divinity and humanity are united hypostatically and essentially, without separation for a single moment or the blink of an eye. This union is not a mixture, confusion, or change, but a full union of the two natures into one nature after the union — called “the Nature of the Incarnate God.”

Explanation of the Union

His Holiness explains that this union took place in the womb of the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit. Christ took flesh from her and became a complete human with body and soul, united with divinity in one being. Therefore, we no longer speak of “two natures after the union,” but of “one nature from two,” meaning the union of divinity and humanity together.

He compares this union to that of the soul and body in a person, forming one nature — the human nature — without either losing its characteristics. Similarly, in Christ, the divinity and humanity united in one nature without confusion or alteration.

The Coptic Orthodox Position

The Coptic Church believes in the one nature of Christ, sharing this faith with the Oriental Orthodox Churches (Ethiopian, Syrian, Indian, and Armenian). The Chalcedonian Churches (Greek, Russian, Roman, and Catholic) believe in two natures. The division arose in the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), where those who believed in the one nature were called heretics, though their faith is the authentic Orthodox teaching handed down by St. Cyril the Great.

Heresies that Opposed the Doctrine

Pope Shenouda reviews five major heresies:

1. Arianism – denied the divinity of Christ; condemned at Nicaea (325 AD).

2. Apollinarianism – denied that Christ had a human soul; rejected for denying full humanity.

3. Nestorianism – separated divinity and humanity and denied Mary as “Mother of God”; condemned at Ephesus (431 AD).

4. Eutychianism – claimed that Christ’s humanity dissolved in His divinity.

5. Chalcedonian error – taught two separate natures after union, contradicting the truth of redemption and the one nature of the incarnate Word.

The Orthodox Understanding

The union of divinity and humanity occurred “without confusion, without mixture, without change.” The divinity did not transform into humanity nor the opposite. The divinity cannot suffer, but when the humanity suffered, it was united with divinity — therefore we say, “the Lord of glory was crucified,” meaning the one Christ suffered, not the humanity alone nor the divinity alone.

Salvific and Spiritual Dimension

His Holiness stresses that the unity of nature is essential for redemption, because the atonement can only be infinite if the one who died was the incarnate God. If the natures were separate, the death would be limited to the human nature, making the redemption finite. The union granted the sacrifice infinite value, sufficient for the forgiveness of the sins of the whole world.

Summary of the Doctrine

• Christ is “perfect God and perfect Man” in one nature.

• The union occurred in the Virgin’s womb through the Holy Spirit.

• The divinity never separated from the humanity — in birth, crucifixion, death, or resurrection.

• The unity of nature preserves the mystery of salvation and reveals the glory of the incarnate God.

• Belief in the one nature is the foundation of Orthodox doctrine as handed down by the fathers.

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