Читать книгу Catholicism For Dummies - Rev. Kenneth Brighenti - Страница 92

Another heresy was Nestorianism, named after its founder, Nestorius (c. 386–451). This doctrine maintained that Christ had two hypostases (persons) — one divine and one human. Nestorius condemned the use of the word Theotokos, which was Greek for “bearer” or “mother of God.” If Jesus had two persons, the most that could be said of Mary was that she gave birth to the human person of Jesus and not to the divine. Nestorius preferred the use of the word Christotokos or Christ-bearer to Theotokos.

Another Ecumenical Council was convened, this time in the town of Ephesus in A.d. 431, where the participants ironed out the doctrine that Jesus had one person, not two, but that two natures were present — one human and one divine. Because Christ was only one person, Mary could rightly be called the Mother of God because she gave birth to only one person.

In other words, Jesus didn’t come in parts on Christmas Day for Mary and Joseph to put together. He was born whole and intact, one person, two natures. The Church says that because Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Church could use the title Mother of God (Theotokos), realizing that she didn’t give Jesus His divinity. (This concept is similar to the belief that your mother gave you a human body, but only God created your immortal soul. Still, you call her mother.)