Theological glossary · FaithLogic

Incarnation

God the Son taking on a complete human nature — 'the Word became flesh'.

Latin incarnatio, 'enfleshing', from caro, 'flesh'; renders Greek sarkosis / ensarkosis. From John 1:14, 'the Word became flesh' (sarx egeneto).

John 1:14; Philippians 2:6–8; Hebrews 2:14–17; 1 John 4:2; Colossians 2:9; Galatians 4:4.

Defended against Docetism (that Christ only seemed human) by Ignatius and Irenaeus; against Apollinarianism (that the Word replaced Christ's human mind) at Constantinople 381; against Nestorianism and monophysitism at Ephesus and Chalcedon.

The Son did not stop being God or turn into a man; he added humanity to his deity, remaining one person.

The fact is held by all Chalcedonian and Oriental Orthodox Christians; the precise formula (one nature vs. two) is the historic divide.

Open in the glossary for related terms and the doctrines this concept appears in.