What is the relationship between the human and divine natures in the person of Christ?
Crucial to a proper understanding of the Incarnation is grasping what is meant by the word nature. This word is commonly used to designate the divine or human elements in the person of the incarnate Christ. “Nature” when used of Christ’s divinity refers to all that belongs to deity, including all the attributes of deity. “Nature” when used of Christ’s humanity refers to all that belongs to humanity, including all the attributes of humanity. Now, though the incarnate Christ had both a human and a divine nature, he was only one person — as indicated by His consistent use of the pronouns “I,” “Me,” and “Mine” in reference to Himself. Jesus never used the words “us,” “we,” or “ours” in reference to His human-divine person. Nor did the divine nature of Christ ever carry on a verbal conversation with His human nature. Before the Incarnation, Jesus had only a divine nature. Without getting too complicated, we might summarize it this way: The eternal Son of God — who, prior to the Incarnatio
