Part One: The Profession of Faith › Section Two of Part One: The Profession of the Christian Faith: The Creeds ›› CHAPTER 2: I Believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God ››› Article 3: “He was Conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit and Was Born of the Virgin Mary” ›››› §1 Incarnation

› IN BRIEF

Questions and Answers

470. Why did the Word become flesh according to the Creed? (CCC 456) According to the Creed, the Word became flesh “for us men and for our salvation”.
471. For what four reasons did the Word become flesh for us men? (CCC 457-460) The four reasons for which the Word became flesh for us men are:
1. to save us
2. to show us God’s love
3. to become a model for us
4. to make us partakers of the divine nature.
A mnemonic is “Sa-lo-mo-n”: “sa” like “save”, “lo” like “love”, “mo” like model and “n” like nature.
472. What is St Athanasius’ famous reason for the Incarnation? (CCC 460) St Athanasius’ († 373) famous reason for the Incarnation is that “the Son of God became man so that we might become God.”
473. What is the “Incarnation”? (CCC 461) The “Incarnation” is the assuming of the human nature by the Son of God in order to accomplish our salvation.
474. In which famous hymn does St Paul speak about the Incarnation? (CCC 461) St Paul speaks about the Incarnation in the famous hymn in Phil 2.
“Christ Jesus... emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness (...).”
475. What does it mean that Christ is “true God and true man”? (CCC 464) That Christ is “true God and true man” means that He has assumed a full human nature without in any way ceasing to be God.
The Divine and the human natures are united hypostatically in Christ, that is, joined to each other in one Person.
476. Who are the first three Christological heretics? (CCC 465) The first three Christological heretics are:
1. the Gnostic Docetists who deny Christ’s true humanity
2. Paul of Samosata who admits only an adopted divine Sonship of Christ
3. Arius who believed Christ to be a creature.
477. What does the Creed of Nicaea I confess about the Son of God? (CCC 465) The Creed of Nicaea I (AD 325) confesses about the Son of God that He is “begotten, not made, of the same substance as the Father”.
478. What heresy does Nicaea I condemn? (CCC 465) Nicaea I (AD 325) condemns the heresy of Arius who said that the Son of God was:
1. a creature made by God
2. of another substance than the Father.
479. What heresy does the Council of Ephesus condemn? (CCC 466) The Council of Ephesus (AD 431) condemns the heresy of Nestorius who said that Christ was two persons: a human person joined to the Divine Person of God’s Son.
Notice the Council’s emphasis on the one person of Christ.
480. Who was the Father of the Church who opposed the Nestorians in Ephesus? (CCC 466) St Cyril of Alexandria († 444) was the Father of the Church who opposed the Nestorians in Ephesus.
The Nestorians were the followers of Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople and heresiarch.
481. How does Ephesus explain the one person of Christ against the Nestorians? (CCC 466) Against the Nestorians, Ephesus explains the one person of Christ by saying that in the Incarnation the Son of God united to His Divine Person a human body animated by a human soul.
482. What did Ephesus proclaim Our Lady? (CCC 466) Ephesus proclaimed Our Lady Mother of God.
The Son of God was born of Our Lady according to the flesh.
483. What heresy does the Council of Chalcedon condemn? (CCC 467) The Council of Chalcedon (AD 451) condemns the heresy of the Monophysites who said that the human nature of Jesus Christ had ceased to exist when the Divine Person of God’s Son assumed it.
Notice the Council’s emphasis on the two natures of Christ.
484. How does Chalcedon explain the relation of Christ’s two natures? (CCC 467) Chalcedon explains the relation of Christ’s two natures as “without confusion, change, division or separation”.
485. What heresy does Constantinople II condemn? (CCC 468) Constantinople II (AD 553) condemns voices that seem to claim that there are two persons in Christ.
Notice the Council’s emphasis on the one person of Christ.
486. How does the Roman Liturgy sum up the Incarnation citing St Leo the Great? (CCC 469) The Roman Liturgy, citing St Leo the Great († around 460), sums up the Incarnation when it says about Christ: “What He was, He remained and what He was not, He assumed.”
487. How is the Son of God fully man? (CCC 470) The Son of God is fully man through:
1. the full reality of His human soul with its operations of intellect and will
2. the full reality of His human body.
488. How did Apollinarius of Laodicaea deny the completeness of Christ’s human soul? (CCC 471) Apollinarius of Laodicaea denied the completeness of Christ’s human soul by claiming that it lacked a human intellect and will, because Christ already possessed the divine intellect and will.
According to Apollinarius the “nous” (Greek for: human intellect and will) had been replaced by the divine Word.
489. Why was Christ’s human intellect necessary? (CCC 472) Christ’s human intellect was necessary, because it endowed Him with a true human knowledge that could not in itself be unlimited but that allowed Christ to fully share the human condition.
490. Why did Christ’s human knowledge reveal His true humanity? (CCC 472) Christ’s human knowledge revealed His true humanity, because like in every man it:
1. was exercised in space and time
2. allowed Christ to learn from experience.
491. What distinction must one make when studying Christ’s human knowledge? (CCC 473) When studying Christ’s human knowledge one has to distinguish between:
1. Christ’s human knowledge in itself
2. Christ’s human knowledge in its union with the Word.
492. Was Christ’s human knowledge in its union with the Word limited? (CCC 473) No, Christ’s human knowledge in its union with the Word was not limited and knew everything that pertains to God.
493. Why was there no conflict between Christ’s human and His divine knowledge? (CCC 473) There was no conflict between Christ’s human and His divine knowledge, because Christ in His human knowledge knew everything that pertains to God through the union of that knowledge with the divine intellect.
494. How could Christ in His human knowledge fully understand God’s eternal plan? (CCC 474) Christ in His human knowledge could fully understand God’s eternal plan through the union with His human knowledge with the divine intellect.
495. How must Christ’s admittance of not knowing the time of the End be understood? (CCC 474) Christ’s admittance of not knowing the time of the End (Mk 13) must be understood in the light of Acts 1: “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority” and not as an admittance of an ignorance of His regarding God’s plans.
496. What did Constantinople III confess about Christ’s will? (CCC 475) Constantinople III (AD 681) confessed about Christ’s wills that in keeping with His two natures Christ possesses two wills, a divine will and a human will.
Notice the emphasis on the two natures.
497. Why do Christ’s two wills never enter in conflict with each other? (CCC 475) Christ’s two wills never enter in conflict with each other, because Christ’s human will does not resist or oppose but rather submits to His divine will.
498. Why is the possibility of portraying Christ theologically relevant? (CCC 476) The possibility of portraying Christ is theologically relevant, because it confirms the true humanity of Christ’s body that was finite and therefore can be portrayed.
499. What Council recognized the legitimacy of holy images? (CCC 476) Nicaea II (AD 787) recognized the legitimacy of holy images.
500. What does the one who honours a holy image venerate? (CCC 477) The one who honours a holy image venerates in it the person of the one depicted, not the image in itself.
501. What is the chief sign and symbol of our Redeemer’s love? (CCC 478) The chief sign and symbol of our Redeemer’s love is the pierced Sacred Heart of Jesus.