The Seven Ecumenical Councils Lesson 10 The Fifth

The Seven Ecumenical Councils Lesson 10: The Fifth Ecumenical Council Constantinople II

Background to the Council

Background to the Council • Lingering Debates over Chalcedon in Egypt and Syria • Growing resentment of Constantinople’s government power in Egypt and Syria • Emperor Zeno’s Annulment of Chalcedon in 476 • Emperor: Everyone go back to the way things were before! • Pope Felix III: Emperors don’t have authority over belief • Schism between Constantinople and Rome until 519

Background to the Council • Justinian the Great • Crowned in 527 • Considered it his duty to have an empire that was united politically and doctrinally • Decreed all bishops must subscribe to Chalcedon • But promised another Council to work out differences

Background to the Council • Justinian promoted the ideas of Leontius of Byzantium • Defended Chalcedon against various heresies • Proposed a compromise idea: enhypostasia of the human nature of Christ in the divine Logos • Might satisfy both Alexandrian and Antiochene moderates

Leontius’ Enhypostasis

Enhypostasis • If, as all agree, a “nature” must have its own hypostasis (i. e. “personal existence”), how can one confess “two natures in one hypostasis”? – Core of the Debate • Agreed with the Alexandrians that the eternal Logos/Word, God the Son, is the subject of the incarnation. I. e. , the “personality” of Jesus is God the Son.

Enhypostasis • Disagreed with the Alexandrians that the humanity of Christ is impersonal (Cyril had called this the anhypostasia of the human nature) • Why? A nature without a hypostasis would be an abstraction, a mere idea.

Enhypostasis • Does this then imply that there must be two persons/hypostases? Each nature has its own personhood? • No. While each nature needs a personhood, it need not have its own personhood. • I. e. , it can be “hypostatized” in another.

Enhypostasis • The human nature of Christ was not without hypostasis, but became hypostatic in the Person of the Logos. • The human nature of Christ was not anhypostatic (impersonal), nor personal in itself, but enhypostatic, “personalized in the person of another”

Enhypostasis • Three ways in which two beings may be united: • 1) Close relationship, such as friendship or marriage • Nestorianism: Two natures, two persons. • 2) Blended into a third thing or hybrid • Monophysitism: One hybrid nature, one person • 3) United so that their distinct natures subsist in a single hypostasis – Incarnation of Christ • Like a flame and wood united by fire in a torch

Enhypostasis • Therefore, Jesus’ human nature is exactly like unfallen humanity • But no independent existence apart from the Divine Logos • I. e. , Jesus was and is and always will be the Second Person of the Trinity • The Divine Person assumed a human nature, joining it with his divine nature forevermore.

The Second Council of Constantinople

Constantinople II, 553 • May 5 – June 2, 553 • Called by Emperor Justinian the Great • Presided by Eutychius, Patriarch of Constantinople • Other Three Eastern Patriarchs also Present • Pope Vigilius refused to attend and issued a document forbidding them from proceeding without him • 152 Bishops attended (only 16 from the West)

Constantinople II, 553 • Promoted/explained Leontius’ views as a clarification of Chalcedon’s rulings • Also Condemned the “Three Chapters” • Theodore of Mopsuestia, 350 -428 • Some of Theodoret of Cyrus’ writings, 393 -458 • Letter of Ibas of Edessa to Maris, 435 -457 • All three Antiochene, and long dead! • Condemned Origen, 184 -253, an Alexandrian

Constantinople II, 553 • Ultimately failed to bring the non-Chalcedonians back • (Busy defending against Islamic invasion) • Mostly an Eastern Issue, though the Roman Church accepts it • ACNA: affirms the “Christological clarifications” • Many Protestants can’t follow the issues, nor really care!