What is the hypostatic union, explained in one message?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

The Hypostatic Union is the Orthodox doctrine defining the union of the divine nature and the human nature in the one Person (Hypostasis) of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. According to the formula of St. Cyril of Alexandria, we confess "One Nature of God the Word Incarnate", which means that the two natures were united in a real, organic, and natural union—without mingling, without confusion, without alteration, and without division or separation for even a twinkling of an eye.

Unlike the heretical Nestorians who divided Christ into two persons or the Monophysites who claimed one nature absorbed the other, Coptic Orthodoxy (Miaphysitism) teaches that each nature remains whole and distinct within the union while together forming one composite nature. This union allows for the "Exchange of Properties," ensuring that the Virgin Mary is rightfully called the Mother of God and that the death of the Word in the flesh was sufficient for the salvation of the entire human race.