Thursday, February 3

The Anathemas of the Second Council of Constantinople, No. 5

If anyone understands the expression -- one hypostasis* of our Lord Jesus Christ -- so that it means the union of many hypostases, and if he attempts thus to introduce into the mystery of Christ two hypostases, or two persons, and, after having introduced two persons, speaks of one person according to dignity, honor or worship, as Theodore and Nestorius insanely have written; and if anyone slanders the holy synod of Chalcedon, as though it had used this expression in this impious sense, and does not confess that the Word of God is united with the flesh hypostatically, and that therefore there is but one hypostasis or one person, and that the holy synod of Chalcedon has professed in this sense the one hypostasis of our Lord Jesus Christ; let him be anathema. For the Holy Trinity, when God the Word was incarnate, was not increased by the addition of a person or hypostasis.

[*Hypostasis is a Greek word meaning "being" and here it is used synonymously with person.]

Well, they didn't mince words, did they? Any comments? Questions? Hairsplitting?
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