The Four Adverbs Regarding the Incarnation of our Lord

It is wise never to adopt new words to describe biblical doctrines other than the words given to us in Scripture. Sometimes it can cause us to be out of balance regarding a specific doctrine. The nuance may be slight, but given enough time, a new word may lead someone to emphasize a doctrine the wrong way. However, because of the weakness of our language and the weakness of our knowledge of spiritual things, sometimes the adoption of new words is unavoidable.

For example, the Church has adopted the English word “sovereignty” when speaking of God’s omnipotent rule, even though one will never find the word in the Bible (i.e. in the King James Version of the Bible). The same can be said with such words as the word “rapture.” It is not found in Scripture, but the doctrine to which it refers is certainly found in the Bible. The same thing is true of the word “Trinity.” It is never found in the Bible. However, the “doctrine of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit” is found from Genesis to Revelation, and it is that doctrine to which the word “Trinity” refers.

These are some examples of words the Church has adopted throughout her history to aid her in understanding biblical truth. However, there are other words adopted by the Church which are just as important as the words previously mentioned. These are words adopted by the Church to clarify the important truths concerning the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And even though, they too, are not found in Scripture, they certainly refer to essential doctrines of the Faith that are found in Scripture.

The first of these words is the Greek word “homoosios.”  It means “of one and the same substance.” It was utilized by the framers of the Nicene Creed to show forth the full equality and oneness of the Son to the Father.  It bespeaks the fact that the Son and, therefore, the Holy Spirit both possess the same substance of the Father without division or diminution. This doctrine, of course, is revealed to us in such verses as Jn. 1:1 and Jn. 10:30. 

In English, we translate this word as “consubstantial.” The Son and Holy Spirit are consubstantial with the Father. It is a good and acceptable word, just as are the words sovereignty, rapture, and Trinity.

Other words, adopted by the Church, which are not as well known, but which are just as essential for our proper understanding of certain biblical truths concerning our Saviour are the words: without division, without separation, without change and without confusion. These words were adopted by the Church during the council at Chalcedon, which acknowledged the Lord Jesus Christ to be “in two natures inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably.”^[1] And just like the other words mentioned above, (even though they are not be found in Scripture), the truths to which they refer are certainly found and affirmed in Scripture.

            These four adverbs, chosen by the Church, help us understand the biblical truth regarding the incarnation of our Lord.  They are solid biblical pronouncements regarding our Lord’s incarnation, which, when rightly understood, aid us not only in our knowledge of the Lord, but also strengthen one’s own Christian walk (II Pet. 1:2-3).

            They protect us against heretical views concerning Christ and can teach us many truths about our own Christian lives. “Without change” and “without confusion” protect us from Eutychianism, while “without division” and “without separation” protect us against Nestorianism.

They may be explained as follows:

Without division – This refers to the fact that there were not two individuals in the Person of the Son, as if the Son of God descended on a human Jesus, whether at his baptism, as Docetism taught, or in the womb of Mary, as taught by Nestorianism. John does not tell us in Jn. 1:14 and I John 4:2-3 that the Word came in a man (i.e. an individual), but, rather, that the Word became flesh (i.e. received a human nature). The Word became flesh in the womb of Mary (Lu. 1:31-32, 35) and thus was fully God and fully Man. Therefore, the human nature never existed as an individual named Jesus apart from the divine nature of the Son, for that would entail a division of natures within his Person. Division is not an aspect of the Godhead, nor of the incarnation, nor should it ever be in our own relationships, whether it be our marriages, our families or our assemblies. May we ever exist, as he has ever existed, without division.

Without separation – This tells us that the two natures could never be separated, but were forever unionized in one Person. Scripture can speak of the “Lord of glory” being crucified (I Cor. 2:8 NASB I Cor. 2:2 with II Cor. 1:19) or the “Son of Man” being crucified (Matt. 20:28; 26:2; Mk. 8:31; Lu. 24:7; Jn. 3:14), because, even though the former refers to his deity, and the latter refers to his humanity, both are titles of the one and same Person. Since the divine nature can never be separated from the human nature, Scripture can speak of the “Lord of glory” being crucified. Conversely, since the “Lord of glory” was also fully Man, and his human nature could never be separated from his divine nature, it can speak of the “Son of Man” dying for our sins. Scripture, in the same way, can speak of God’s blood (Acts 20:28), or it can speak of the Son of Man’s blood (Jn. 6:53).

By using both sets of titles, Scripture is showing us that any title that can be used of a nature can also be used of the Person, because the two natures were forever unionized in one Person and that without separation. There was only one Person on the cross. If there were a separation of natures then one would have to say that two Persons were crucified on the cross, which, of course, is nonsensical and would contradict Scripture. He is the Lord Jesus Christ from his birth. He was not just Jesus in his birth. He was Jesus (humanity) Christ (divinity) in his birth, as John tells us in I Jn. 4:2 (cf. Jn. 1:14). He can be called Jesus, or he can be called the Christ, because he is the Lord Jesus Christ – One who possesses both natures without separation in one Person.

Without change – Even though the two natures were unionized in One Person without separation, we must also realize the two natures never changed. The divine nature remained the same, and the human nature remained the same. Eutychian heresy taught the two natures were mixed to form a new nature. However, John 1:18; 3:13 reveals to us the Son was still in the bosom of the Father, even while on earth, demonstrating to us that his divine nature never changed, since he still was coinhering in the Father even while on earth. In the same way his human nature never changed, for He was still flesh and bones after His resurrection (Lu. 24:39). He claimed to be both the Son of Man (human nature) and the Son of God (divine nature). The natures never changed (cf. Matt. 16:13, 16-17).

Therefore, since the divine nature can never change, we must realize that it remained impassible, in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Person Jesus Christ. Heb. 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Jesus Christ – One Person – with two natures unionized without separation continued to ever possess his divine nature impassably, and the human nature, (which was passible), passibly. Peter clearly affirms this when he tells us that it was in his “flesh" that Christ suffered (I Pet. 4:1). 

Without confusion – The two natures were not mixed together so that either one was lessened or lost its distinction. The Lord never lost consciousness of either his divine nature, or his human nature (Mk 13:32; Mk. 14: 61-62; Jn. 17:5). They were not confused because they never changed. The Lord did not empty himself of His divinity (Ph. 2:6-7) in His humiliation, for He continued to exist in the form of God.  Nor was the humanity of our Lord deified by its unionization with the divine (Lu. 24:39) for he remains the Son of Man. Christ remained the Son of God in his incarnation and remained the Son of Man in His ascension. Neither nature was confused or changed.

The difference between “without confusion” and “without change” is that “without confusion” can refer to the outward perception of the two natures, whereas “without change” refers to the inward and substantial reality of the two natures.

One false example, used by Eutychians concerning the divine and human natures, was the example of water and wine. When the two are mixed, the two become imperceptible. You can not see the water once it was mixed with the wine. This is why “without confusion” was adopted. The two natures never become confused in the Person of Christ where one nature could no longer be perceived. One could perceive the divine nature in Christ when He uttered the words. “Lazarus, come forth! And one could perceive the human nature of Christ when he said “I thirst.” The two natures were not changed into a third entity through their unionization in one Person, thus losing their own distinctiveness. Christ was ever conscious of both His divine and human natures (Jn. 8:24; 10:30; Mk. 13:32).

Therefore, knowing this, what a comfort it is to know that “He was “made like his brethren in all things” (Heb. 2: 17), and was ever conscious of all our infirmities.  As the writer of Hebrews says,  “For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb. 4:15). Why? Because his human nature never changed or became so confused with the divine nature that He was not aware of it.

And so, as one considers the four adverbs of Chalcedon one realizes they are special nomenclatures given to biblical statements. They protect us against heresy by keeping us from exceeding what is written. They affirm the faith regarding the incarnation of our Lord, without having to explain the intricacies of that incarnation. The Council never sought to explain such intricacies, because that was not their purpose. Their purpose was simply to protect the clear affirmations of Scripture regarding our Lord’s incarnation.

The intricacies of the incarnation were not revealed to us by God. They are one of the secret things which belong only to Him (Deut. 29:29). As such, it is best for us to leave it with God.  God never gave us a model to understand the Incarnation as He has given us a model to understand the Trinity, i.e. creation, (Rom. 1:20).  Therefore, the best we can do is ever affirm the truths of God regarding the incarnation of His Son by speaking out against the various heresies that arise concerning His Person, and by ever affirming the clear Scriptural pronouncements that God has given to us regarding that blessed event.

And yet, there is still more we can glean from these words. These words can help clarify other biblical doctrines. One such important doctrine is the doctrine concerning the blood of Christ. Today some modern evangelicals are belittling the blood of Christ by saying we are not redeemed by the blood itself, because the blood was simply human blood; it never changed or became divine blood (as some other evangelicals believe) and so, they are saying the blood is not efficacious in itself.

 One well known evangelical Pastor even went so far as to say that there was nothing in the blood itself that washes away our sin, but it was only the death of Christ that atoned for our sin, the blood in and of itself had nothing to do with our cleansing. The blood only had to be shed on the cross, but the blood itself was not efficacious.

He even prefaces his statement by saying he was going to say something that might shake some people up and then goes on and categorically states the Scripture never teaches that the blood of Christ had any efficacy for washing away our sins.  He emphasizes that it was human blood not divine blood.

Now part of what our brother declares is true. The blood of Jesus was 100 percent human blood. Christ had a human nature like you and like me. The blood did not change into divine blood. It was considered the blood of God (Acts 20:38) because the Eternal Son of God possessed a human nature, but that nature was without change and without confusion, and so his blood remained completely human.

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.” (Heb. 2: 14a). 

And Heb. 2:16-17 tells us he was made “like his brethren in all things.”

But what our brother does not comprehend is that while the blood of Jesus was indeed human and not divine, it was still different from your blood and my blood because his nature, (which, obviously, includes the blood), was unionized with the divine nature in one Person, and that without separation. He rightly affirms, “without change,” but he forgets, “without separation.” The human nature was never separate from the divine nature, but was unionized with it. Because our brother forgets the term “without separation,” he has unwittingly denigrated the precious blood of our Saviour.

The blood of Jesus was, indeed, the same as your blood and my blood because it was 100 percent human. However, while it was the same, it was yet different, because his blood was pure unlike yours and mine (Heb. 9:14). Our blood has been tainted by sin, but he was sinless (Heb. 4:15). Therefore, his blood was unlike yours and mine. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3), not in sinful flesh. As such, his blood was unpolluted.

But his blood was also different from yours and mine, because his blood (as part of the human nature) was unionized with the divine nature in one Person. Your blood and my blood are not, nor ever shall be unionized with the divine nature of the Eternal Son. Through the unionization with the divine nature, his human nature (and, thus, his blood) was energized by that divine nature. Because the two natures were unionized without separation, the mighty power of God (divine nature - cf. Eph. 1:19-20; Jn. 2:19; Jn. 10:18; Rom. 8:11) wrought (energized) forth in Christ in such an way that his flesh (human nature) did not undergo decay (Acts 2:27), nor was his soul allowed to remain in hell (Acts 2:31), but together, “with his blood,” he was raised up from the dead (Heb. 13:20 ASV) to be seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having made a purification of sins (Heb. 1:3; 9: 7, 11-2).  Because of this, his blood secures for us an “eternal” redemption (Heb. 9:12-14).

Because his blood was pure and energized through the unionization with the divine nature, his blood is distinguished from my blood and your blood. While it was the same human blood as yours and mine (it did not become divine blood, because the human nature was without change), it was different from your blood and my blood because it was not tainted by sin and it was ever energized by its unionization with the divine nature because it was ever without separation. Therefore, we must realize the blood of Christ is special and unique!

Yes, many times in Scripture, (as our brother said), the word blood is used as a metonym for death (e.g. Lev. 20:9; I Kings 2:37), but many times it is not. And when it is not, it is referring to the blood in and of itself. 

For example, Lev. 16: 14-16 tells us that the high priest had to take the blood of the sin offering from the altar and sprinkle it on the mercy seat to make atonement. In this case it is not being used as a metonym of death. It was not enough that a death had occurred on the altar. That alone did not make atonement. The blood from the altar itself had to be taken and be sprinkled on the mercy seat in order to make atonement. It was the blood itself that made atonement, not just the death upon the altar. So too, with the blood of Christ, of which it was a type, it too needed to be sprinkled for atonement (Heb. 9:11-14; 10:22; 12:24; I Pet. 1:2). The blood of Christ, that makes atonement, is not just a metonym for death, as some evangelicals are now claiming; it is the blood itself that atones for our sins because it was shed on the cross by one who is unique – the Only Begotten Son – the Lord Jesus Christ – whose two natures were unionized in His Person without separation.

Therefore, because of this purity and unionization with the divine nature, the blood of Christ, itself, is indeed, efficacious for sin!  Scripture many times declares this to be so. The blood itself is capable of cleansing (I John 1:7). It washes us from our sins (Rev. 1:5 KJV). It sanctifies us (Heb. 10:29; 13:12). It redeems us (Rev. 5:9). It provides forgiveness (Eph. 1:7). It justifies (Rom. 5:9). The blood is, indeed, most precious (I Peter 1: 19)!  It certainly is efficacious! It is the precious blood of the Lamb!

And so we can see the importance of understanding these four adverbs. It protects us against error. Yes, we were reconciled by the death of our Lord, and, yes we are saved by his life (Rom 5:10). Yes, we were redeemed by the death of a testator (Heb. 9:15-16), and yes, we were ransomed by the sacrifice of his life (Mt. 20:28). But, as Scripture declares, we were also redeemed by his precious blood, not just as a metonym for death, but by the very blood itself    (I Pet. 1:18-19). Why? Because the precious blood of our Saviour was completely human, because it did not change, but it was also very unique, because it was never separated from his divine nature.

            And yet we can go on. As we continue to ponder these four adverbs we also can see that they also help us to understand Trinitarian truth, as well as the truth regarding the unity of the Church. Consider what a good friend of mine said regarding this issue.

“It is also interesting to note that these four adverbs help supplement the definition of what a Trinitarian Person is. To wit: besides defining a Trinitarian Person as substantial, subsistential and attributal, a Trinitarian Person is also without confusion, without change, without division and without separation of the other two Persons. Thus the Father can never be confused or confounded with the Son or Holy Spirit. The Father is unchangeable in His hypostatical existence as the source and fount and first in order with respect to the Son and Spirit. The Father can never be divided from his Son and the Holy Spirit - distinct, but never divided by virtue of their unity. And lastly, the Father can never be separated from the Son and Holy Spirit by virtue on their consubstantiality. Of course what is true of the Father is true of the Son and Holy Spirit with respect to these four adverbs.

Furthermore, these four adverbs seem to be the primary test for Christian unity. Heresies, man-made traditions, and false practices, that have ever crept into the church, will always destroy the unity of Christ's one Church by creating divisions that will eventually produce separation among the people of God. This changes the true nature of the Body of Christ by confusing the saints’ relationship with God and with each other.  When this occurs we become incapable of bearing witness to the true nature of the Church, which causes us to misunderstand the true nature of Christ, and ultimately leads us to misunderstand the true nature of God.”[2]

How succinctly truth coinheres within truth. The four adverbs of Chalcedon protect us against heresy regarding the incarnation of our Lord. They emphasize the importance of the blood of Christ. They help us understand the unity of the Godhead, and they direct our hearts into maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

And now, finally, they also reveal another important truth that will always comfort our hearts. As the two natures in Christ were without separation, we come to understand that God never separates from that which he is in union with. Thus the human nature of Christ will never be separated from the divine nature. He will always bear in his hands and in his feet the imprint of the nails, and he will always bear the wound in his side forever and ever.

This is a comfort to us, because we have been made to be united to Christ in his death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:5 NASB). We are baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:3); we are baptized into one Body (I Cor. 12:13). We have been unionized with Christ! Not with his divine nature - for we can never be unionized with the divine nature, for if we were, we would have to be a fourth person in the Godhead. Only the Three Persons of the Trinity possess the same fullness of the Godhead in perfect unity.  However, Scripture says we have been united to the human nature of the Son (Eph. 5:30 KJV), and as Christ’s human nature will never be separated from his divine nature, we will never be separated from God ! 

Ephesians 5: 30 tells us,

“For we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones.”

What great joy and what great peace comes from knowing we have been unionized with Christ by being baptized into his humanity – into his body – becoming members of his flesh and of his bones. His humanity is ever unionized with his divine nature in one Person, and that without separation! Once we have been united to Christ we can never be separated from him! Our salvation is secure. We will be with him forever and ever. O what grace! O what love!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Rom. 8:35-39

How wonderful are the four adverbs regarding the incarnation of our Lord – without division, without separation, without change, without confusion. May they continue to aid us in our understanding of our precious Saviour, so that in all things we can grow up in all aspects into Him.  Amen.

B.P.H.