Heresies 6

Overview

The Eutychian Heresy: When the Two Natures of Christ Get Blended Together

If Nestorianism erred by treating Christ's divine and human natures as two boards merely glued together—united but never truly communicating—Eutychianism rushes to the opposite extreme. Picture a blender: the divine nature and the human nature tossed in together, whirred up, and poured out as something new—a third nature that is neither fully divine nor fully human. That, in essence, is the heresy of Eutyches. Interestingly, Zwingli once leveled this very charge against Martin Luther because Luther insisted on a real communication of attributes between Christ's natures. The accusation was false. Confessing that Christ's two natures share their properties is not the same as saying they are mixed into a tertium quid.

The Lutheran confessions guard us on both sides. The Son of God, eternally a distinct divine person with the Father and the Spirit, "in the fullness of time assumed also human nature into the unity of his person"—not so as to make two Christs, and not so as to dissolve either nature into a hybrid. Scripture itself uses the full range of language: Christ is God 1 John 5:20; Christ is man 1 Timothy 2:5; this man is God Matthew 16:13–17; and God is man John 1:14. In him "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily" Colossians 2:9. Because the attributes are truly communicated, we can rightly confess that our God died on the cross—Christ's human capacity for death belongs to the one divine person who suffered for us.

Why does this matter pastorally? Because if the natures are blended, you end up with a superhuman savior—someone for whom temptation, grief, hunger, and dread were lighter loads than ours. Scripture flatly contradicts that. Jesus fasted forty days and was genuinely famished Matthew 4:2. At Lazarus's tomb he was "greatly disturbed" and wept John 11:33–38. In Gethsemane he threw himself on the ground and begged the Father to remove the cup Mark 14:35–36. And in the wilderness he resisted Satan not by flexing divine power but by answering, again and again, "It is written" Matthew 4—the same weapon given to us. He has been "tested as we are, yet without sin" Hebrews 4:15. In his state of humiliation he did not always exercise the divine majesty truly his Philippians 2:5–8.

When someone says, "God doesn't really understand what I'm going through," or "Of course Jesus could resist temptation—he was God," they are speaking the practical language of Eutychianism, even if they've never heard the word. The faithful answer is to point them back to a Savior who is fully God and fully man in one person, whose human nature was not absorbed or diluted, and who therefore truly gets us. He felt every weight we feel. He bore every temptation we bear. And because he is also God-with-skin-on, his obedience and his death actually save. That is the Christ who meets us in the bread and wine, in the Word, and in our every grief—not a blended demigod, but the one Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true man, forever.

Transcript

Grace the Heavenly Father, we with joy, we approach today. 0s

We approach it in your promises. 4s

We know of your constant presence with us. 7s

We know indeed that you form our days, 10s

that all occurs, passes before your throne, 14s

and that you use all to your ultimate glory 18s

and our ultimate good. 20s

Bless us in our study today. 22s

Give us a greater understanding of your holy word 25s

and send us forth as bold proclaimers 29s

of Christ crucified and risen. 31s

In Jesus' name, amen. 34s

Well, last week we took a look at a group called 37s

the historians, the historians, 40s

and the historians remember, 44s

denied that there was any kind of communication 47s

of the two natures of Christ. 50s

That indeed, as you look at the two natures of Jesus Christ, 54s

they are united, but they also retained 60s

their essential characteristics and peculiarities. 63s

We saw how this played out in a person by the name of Svingly, 69s

who said that, well, when you come to communion, 74s

since there's no communication of the natures 79s

of Christ, then what you have is a situation 83s

that Jesus' body cannot totally be present 86s

in holy communion. 90s

And the reason he could say that was because 92s

of this understanding of the two natures of Christ 95s

and the historian understanding, 99s

kind of this understanding of their two boards 100s

that are glued together. 102s

Now, there's not a direct link between 106s

the story ism, isvingly ism, and where you see 110s

it played out nowadays, but you see that when you don't 113s

understand the communication of the natures 118s

of the two natures of Christ, 120s

what you wind up with then is a sacrament of the altar 123s

then that is devoid of being a sacrament, 128s

because then you have no true presence 131s

of Jesus Christ. 134s

So you see that really manifest in so many ways 138s

in many quarters of the church nowadays, 142s

where communion is understood simply as a memorial. 145s

That's where Svingly was coming at and what was driving. 149s

Svingly and Luther couldn't stand each other. 154s

I mean, they just couldn't stand each other. 157s

Luther has a quote about Svingly that kind of 162s

makes your eyes roll back a little bit in your head. 166s

There couldn't stand him. 170s

And Svingly, of course, was the one where Luther 174s

takes out his knife when they're sitting at the table 176s

and he carves word is into the table 179s

is they were having not so gentle of a conversation. 181s

That indeed is means is, that when Jesus Christ says, 184s

this is my body. 187s

Jesus didn't say this represents my body, 189s

this symbolizes my body, this symbolizes my blood. 192s

No, Christ is truly present in the bread and wine 195s

for the forgiveness of sins. 198s

Well, today I'd like to talk with you about the Utakeans, 201s

the Utakeans and what their heresy was all about. 210s

When you've gotten a story and is them on one side, 219s

Utakeans are on the exact opposite. 223s

Utakeans are a reaction to the story and is them. 226s

And Utakeans came along and said, 233s

no, it's not two boards of two natures of Christ 237s

that are glued together and there's no communion. 241s

The image for Utakeans is a blender 244s

to where Utakeans believe that you've got the divine nature 248s

of Jesus and you've got the human nature of Jesus 252s

and of course they didn't have a blender back then. 255s

But you throw those two into the blender 258s

and they get all mixed up into a third nature. 262s

That's what Utakeans are all about. 266s

So it's the opposite of an historianism. 270s

There's no communication of natures in Utakeans. 275s

There is this communication of natures, 279s

but actually a third nature is created. 281s

Guess what Svengli accused Martin Luther of being? 287s

Are you to can? 294s

Are you to can? 295s

That was the accusation that he leveled against Luther. 297s

As Lutherans, we believe that indeed there is a close relationship 300s

between Christ's humanity and his divinity 306s

that the characteristics of one nature 309s

are shared or communicated with the other. 312s

But did Luther fall into being a Utakean? 318s

Absolutely not. 323s

Absolutely not. 324s

So it was a false charge. 325s

True or false? 329s

It is accurate to say that our God died on the cross. 332s

I think this one through. 337s

It is accurate to say that our God died on the cross. 339s

If you're thinking true, you're correct on that. 345s

Why? 350s

Because Christ's human capability of death 351s

was communicated to his divine nature. 354s

So it's totally appropriate to say our God died on the cross. 358s

Because there's that communion, however, 365s

that the story is denied, that doesn't mean, however, 367s

that the two natures of Christ are mixed into in the blender again, 372s

mixed into something other than what Christ did. 378s

What Christ is. 384s

Our doctrinal writings puts it this way. 385s

We believe, teach and confess, 389s

that the Son of God, although from eternity, 392s

he has been a particular distinct, entire divine person. 396s

And thus, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, 400s

true essential, perfect God. 405s

Nevertheless, in the fullness of time assumed also human nature 408s

into the unity of his person. 413s

Not in such a way that there are now two persons or two Christs, 417s

but that Jesus Christ is now in one person at the same time, 422s

eternal God, born of the Father from eternity, 428s

and true man, born of the most blessed Virgin Mary. 432s

Notice what's going on there. 438s

It's avoiding the story and is, 440s

it's avoiding the human nature in a human organism, 441s

and it's avoiding you to keyenism. 441s

It's avoiding understanding Jesus as two boards glued together, 444s

and there's no communication of the divine and the human property. 448s

It's avoiding you to keyenism, 451s

which you put the divine and human in a blender together 453s

and you come up with something totally different. 456s

Because of the union then, of the divine and the human, 461s

notice how Scripture refers to Jesus. 465s

Let's start in 1 John chapter 5. 469s

Good way to find 1 John is to go to the book of Revelation, 472s

and turn left. 476s

They'll bump into it very quickly. 479s

1 John chapter 5 verse 20. 481s

1 John chapter 5 verse 20. 496s

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding 501s

so that we may know Him who is true, 507s

and we are in Him who is true, 511s

in His Son, Jesus Christ, He is the true God and eternal life. 514s

So notice here how it says, Christ is God. 522s

Christ is God. 529s

Okay, let's go to 1 Timothy chapter 2. 532s

1 Timothy chapter 2. 534s

Keep turning toward Matthew. 537s

You're going to hit Hebrews, James. 539s

You'll then starting the tea books going backwards. 541s

You'll hit Titus 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 5. 543s

There we read, for there is one God, there is also one mediator between God and humankind. 567s

Christ Jesus Himself human, who gave Himself a ransom for all. 575s

This was attested at the right time. 581s

So here we see Christ is man. 586s

We see Scripture referring to Christ as God. 591s

We see Scripture referring to Jesus as man. 594s

Let's go to Matthew chapter 16 verse 13. 598s

Matthew 16 verse 13. 602s

Matthew 16 verse 13. 620s

Now we read now when Jesus came into the district of Cessaria, Philippi, 626s

why he asked his disciples, who do people say that the Son of man is? 630s

And they said, some say John the Baptist, the others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. 635s

He said to them, but who do you say that I am? 642s

Simon Peter answered, you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. 647s

And Jesus answered him, blessed are you, Simon's son of Jonah. 652s

For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father in heaven. 656s

Well we have in Matthew, but this man is God. 663s

So we see Christ as God, Christ as man. 671s

This man is God. 674s

Let's go to the Gospel of John chapter 1. 677s

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John. 681s

John chapter 1 verse 14. 685s

And the word became flesh. 700s

Notice how word is capitalized, because it stands for Jesus. 703s

And the word became flesh and lived among us. 706s

And we have seen his glory, the glorious of a father's only son, full of grace. 709s

And truth. 714s

Here we see God is man. 717s

Christ is God, Christ is man. 723s

This man is God and God is man. 725s

Christ has two distinct natures. 730s

Both natures belong to the same person. 733s

And the attributes of both natures are shared. 738s

They are communicated to one another. 742s

So on the one hand we can say, Christ was begotten of the father from eternity according to his divine nature. 746s

That's Psalm 2.2. 756s

Christ was begotten of the father from eternity according to his divine nature. 759s

We can also say, Christ was born of the Virgin Mary in the fullness of time according to his human nature. 763s

That's Galatians 4.4. 771s

We can say Jesus was 30 years old in Luke 3.23. 774s

We can say, according to his divine nature, he could say, before Abraham, I was, that's John chapter 8.58. 782s

You see, you got two natures. 792s

They share the attributes of one another. 794s

And so you're going to hear language then of Christ as God, Christ as man. 798s

This man as God, God is man because you have a sharing of the attributes. 802s

Not two boards, not a blender, but the sharing of attributes. 810s

Let's go to Colossians chapter 2. 818s

We're in the Gospel of John. 820s

So keep going toward Revelation. 822s

Acts and Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. 823s

Colossians chapter 2, verse 9. 833s

And there we read for in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. 846s

Hear the two natures? 855s

In Jesus the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. 857s

However, in his state of what's called his humiliation, that's when Jesus came to earth, in his state of humiliation, Christ did not always and fully manifest this divine majesty in his human nature. 865s

So you got the sharing of the attributes, but also as he walked among us, there were times when he did not exercise that divine majesty in his human nature. 882s

Let's go to Philippians chapter 2, just before Colossians, Philippians chapter 2, verse 6. 894s

Let's go with 5, so we're not in mid-sentence. 913s

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, and being found in human form, he humbled himself, became obedient to the point of death, even death, on, across. 917s

Now when he emptied himself, that does not mean that he totally emptied himself of his divine nature, why it's impossible for him to empty himself of his divine nature, why? Because he is God with skin on. 945s

He has taken on flesh, and remember that union now of the divine and human is forever. So when Jesus became incarnated there, that we celebrate at Christmas, that union is now for all time. 956s

But that doesn't mean that Jesus always used his divine nature that had been communicated to his human nature when he walked among us. 975s

Yudikeus confuses the two natures. He puts them in the blender, and he says this, 991s

if Jesus Christ is one person, and he possesses a divine nature and a human nature, really what you must have is a kind of third nature. 997s

See? That's the blender. You put them in the blender, you mix it all together, and really what you have is something else. 1010s

So you take a bunch of strawberries and bananas and orange juice and whatever else you want to throw in there, right? 1021s

You see how it is going in, but when it comes out of that blender, it's something else, and what you put into it. 1027s

That is the heresy of Yudikeus. 1037s

Well, how does this then play out? And why is this important? 1039s

Why was it important for the church to condemn an historianism of which they did? 1044s

Why was it important for the church to condemn Yudikeus? 1050s

Why do you have to condemn those two? Because remember, most of the heresies that you have are going to be around the understanding of the Trinity and the two natures of Christ. 1056s

There is a whole constellation of them. That's where most of your heresy in the church is found. 1066s

Here's why it's important. 1075s

If the two natures of Christ are mixed into this third nature, then what you have is a superhuman savior. 1077s

If you mix it all together and you come up with a third nature here instead of preserving the communion of the natures of the divine and human, reflected in this type of language, 1088s

that indeed it's united, but yet the two natures still retain their own peculiarity, their own characteristics. 1103s

If you abandon what the Scripture says about the two natures of Christ and you go to the chianism, then all of a sudden you have a superhuman savior here. 1112s

That would mean then that it would have been easier for Jesus to resist temptation than it is for you and me. 1125s

If you put it into the blender, you come up with a third nature. You have a superhuman nature where temptation comes, but it's easier for you to do this. 1139s

Let's go to Hebrews chapter 4, verse 15. 1151s

Hebrews chapter 4, verse 15. 1155s

So you're cross over Tyletus, our Titus, Vilemon, and then come to Hebrews chapter 4, verse 15. 1159s

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, a gatschist, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are. 1180s

Yet without sin. 1197s

We have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 1201s

Okay, let's go back to the playground, growing up. 1212s

You've got a mean third grader who is picking on you. You're in first grade. 1216s

All of a sudden your friend who's in sixth grade, and rather tall for his or her age, comes over to the bully and says, 1227s

you ever say that again, and I'm going to squash you. 1238s

You ever say that to my friend again, and I'm going to squash you. 1243s

Well, you're not too afraid then anymore of the bully, right? 1249s

Because you have one who has more power than you are that will take care of the situation. 1256s

If you look at Jesus and you have a mixture of natures, Jesus then becomes the superhuman savior. 1267s

That when then it comes time to temptation, he's not really tempted as much as you are because he's bigger than you. 1279s

So when you mix the natures up and Jesus becomes superhuman, that would mean then that Jesus would not feel the same weight of temptation and weakness that we ourselves feel. 1292s

What is the single way that Jesus is different from us, from Hebrews the fourth, the single way is that he was without sin, but it doesn't mean that he was without being tempted. 1307s

In fact, he felt the temptation to the same level that we feel it. 1320s

He was without sin. 1327s

Notice some verses here that speaks of Jesus' participation in our weaknesses and hardship. 1332s

Let's go to Matthew 4, Matthew 4, verse 2. 1338s

Matthew 4, verse 2. 1356s

He fasted 40 days speaking of Jesus and 40 nights and afterwards he was famished. 1366s

See, this wasn't a mixing of two natures where after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, because you've got a third nature that is created that Jesus could just kind of come along and say, 1373s

I handled that pretty well. Not really too hungry. No, he experiences exactly what we would experience if we fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. 1385s

We're going to be famished. It's exactly what he experiences. 1397s

Let's go to John chapter 11. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John. 1403s

John chapter 11. 1409s

Pick up in verse 33. 1423s

I wonder if that didn't make any sense. I was in Luke. 1434s

Let me catch up to you here. John, I'm going to go to the church. 1438s

John chapter 11, I look at them and go, why in the world did I pick that? 1441s

John chapter 11, verse 33. Oh, this makes a lot more sense. 1445s

When Jesus saw our weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed and spirit and deeply moved. 1451s

He said, where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. 1460s

Jesus began to weep. That's different than crying, isn't it? 1464s

Jesus began to weep so the Jews said, see how he loved him. 1468s

And some of them said, could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying? 1473s

Then Jesus again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave and a stone was lying against it. 1481s

Jesus said, take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, Lord, already there's a stench because he's been dead for days. 1486s

Jesus said to her, did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God. 1495s

So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, Father, I thank you for having heard me. 1500s

I knew that you always hear me, but I've said this for the sake of the crowd standing here so that they may believe that you sent me. 1506s

When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out. 1514s

The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. 1517s

Jesus said to him, unbind him and let him go. 1523s

Notice how many references there are to Jesus being deeply moved and weeping. 1528s

It is the extent of that grief. You do not have a superhuman savior who doesn't feel, who doesn't understand the depths of the grave. 1533s

The grief where it can go when you lose a loved one. 1547s

He understands it and is deeply moved and Scripture says he is disturbed. 1553s

Let's go to Mark the 14th chapter. 1560s

Verse 35. 1565s

And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 1581s

He said, Abba, Father, for you all things are possible. 1590s

Remove this cup from me, yet not what I want, but what you want. 1592s

So there is Jesus in the garden, it's before the cross and he is crying out if there's any other way. 1598s

That is one who understands the horror of crucifixion. 1604s

It is the most terrible way to be put to die. 1609s

It's horrid. He understands that. 1613s

This is not a superhuman Jesus who doesn't feel and who doesn't dread the thought of the cross that is before him. 1617s

Remember what we talked about if you were here for the sermon this morning, you've got the passage in Hebrews that says, 1626s

But for the joy that was before him, what the joy of redemption he endures the cross. 1632s

But it doesn't mean that we have some kind of superhuman Jesus. 1639s

Notice how for the sake of time we can't turn there, but notice the weapon that Jesus used to fight temptation in Matthew 4. 1644s

When Satan comes and tempted him three times, remember what Jesus said constantly. 1654s

He said, it is written, it is written, it is written. 1660s

Jesus then, you see, did not exercise any divine ability to resist temptation when Satan came. 1664s

How did he resist temptation? He resisted it the same way we resisted. 1672s

By turning to the Word, why is that important? 1677s

Because you see, if we understand Jesus as the superhuman Savior who was tempted, we'll say, well, yeah, Jesus, you can handle the temptations of Satan because you're God. 1681s

We're certainly not divine. 1693s

But how did Jesus resist the temptations? He resisted it in the same way that you and I resisted. 1697s

If you ever hear the phrase, God just doesn't understand me. 1708s

Or, well, yet Jesus could resist temptation because he was God. 1715s

There isn't a direct line to eutachianism to that, but what you've just heard is the logical application of eutachianism. 1725s

And a way to minister to people in those situations is exactly to take them to portions of Scripture that shows that indeed in his humanity, Jesus gets us because he's experienced what we have experienced. 1740s

He's not superhuman, which is where euticus winds up. 1763s

So it's not the storyanism, two boards. It's not the reaction to the storyanism, which is eutachianism, which is the exact opposite end of the pole, which is the blender. 1770s

No, it's one, the two natures of Christ, divine and human, one person, the communication of attributes, yet retaining the characteristics of those attributes, not a superhuman savior, but indeed one who in every respect knows what it means to feel grief and pain and to be tempted. 1782s

Yet without sin. 1810s