Apollinarianism is a Christological heresy named after Apollinaris of Laodicea. It arose in the 4th century AD and was condemned as heretical at the First Council of Constantinople in 381.
Background on Apollinaris and his Teachings
Apollinaris was born in the first half of the 4th century and became bishop of Laodicea in Syria. He was a strong defender of Nicene orthodoxy against Arianism, which denied the full divinity of Christ. However, in his zeal to uphold Christ’s true deity, Apollinaris went too far in the other direction.
Apollinaris taught that in Christ, the divine Logos or Word had taken the place of the rational human soul or spirit. The Logos united himself at the incarnation to a human body and animal soul. Apollinaris claimed that the Logos provided the rationality and control that ordinary humans have through their spiritual soul.
This view was intended to secure the full deity of Christ against the Arians. Apollinaris thought that if Christ had a complete human nature, including a human soul, it would mix the divine and human natures inappropriately. It would also raise the possibility that Christ was two distinct persons – one divine and one human.
Main Tenets of Apollinarianism
The main points of Apollinarian Christology were:
– Jesus Christ had a human body and an animal soul but not a human spirit or rational mind. The divine Logos took the place of the rational human soul.
– The Logos was united to the flesh at the incarnation. The Logos provided the controlling and guiding principle and was mingled with the human nature of Christ.
– This meant that Christ was a single subject with a single nature that was a compound of human and divine elements. Christ was a single personality in whom divinity and humanity were perfectly united.
– Advocates of this view claimed that it avoided the errors of both Arianism and Nestorianism. By uniting the Logos to a human body and animal soul, Christ was fully divine but also fully human.
– At the same time, Apollinarianism insisted that Christ did not have two complete natures – divine and human. This avoided Nestorianism which arguably divided Christ into two persons.
Motivations for Apollinarian Views
Apollinaris had several motivations behind his unorthodox views:
– Upholding Christ’s deity against Arianism which denied that the Son was fully divine
– Avoiding the division of Christ into two persons (Nestorianism) by insisting he had one united nature
– Maintaining that Christ was fully human by being joined to a human body and soul
– Emphasizing the unity of Christ’s person in contrast to views that seemingly divided his divinity and humanity
– Attempting to explain the relationship between Christ’s divine and human natures in a way that avoided mingling or confusing them
– Providing an explanation for how Christ as God-man could have both divine and human attributes and experiences
Though well-intentioned, Apollinaris’ solution went too far and actually undermined key aspects of Christ’s humanity.
Why Apollinarianism was Rejected as Heretical
There were several reasons why Apollinarianism was rejected by the wider church as heretical:
1. It undermined Christ’s full humanity. Orthodox Christology maintains that Jesus was fully God and fully human. However, Apollinarianism denied that Christ had a complete human nature, including a human rational soul. This called into question Christ’s humanity.
2. It contradicted Scriptural teaching. There are many verses which imply that Christ possessed a normal human mind, soul, and spirit (John 11:33, 12:27, Luke 10:21, Matthew 26:38). Apollinarianism could not account for this biblical data.
3. It made the Incarnation less effective in saving humans. Gregory of Nazianzus pointed out that Christ must be fully human to save humans and transform human nature. He asked rhetorically, “For that which He has not assumed He has not healed.”
4. It undermined Christ’s role as the perfect example for righteous living. Christ provides a model of virtuous human life. But this requires him having a fully human mind and soul.
5. It threatened the genuineness of Christ’s human experiences. If Christ did not have a normal human soul, his human experiences of temptation, sorrow, fatigue, etc. were called into question.
6. It introduced confusion and mixing of the divine and human natures of Christ, which should remain distinct. The Logos replacing the human soul merges human and divine attributes.
7. It laid the groundwork for false views of redemption. It could imply that simply having physical union with deity effects salvation. But orthodoxy teaches that Christ saves by his sinless life, atoning death, and resurrection in a fully human nature.
For these reasons, the Council of Constantinople condemned Apollinarianism as incompatible with biblical teaching and orthodox Christology. The church recognized that upholding Christ’s true humanity was just as important as upholding his full deity.
Aftermath and Implications of the Apollinarian Controversy
Though Apollinarianism was rejected as heresy, the controversy had several important effects:
– It caused the church to more carefully define what constitutes full humanity. A complete human nature was recognized to require a rational mind or soul, not just a physical body.
– It showed the difficulty of articulating how Christ can be fully divine and fully human at the same time without confusion or separation. This intensified study of the hypostatic union.
– It prompted an emphasis that Christ had two complete natures – fully human and fully divine. This paved the way for Chalcedonian orthodoxy.
– It pushed church leaders to define orthodox Christology more precisely against perceived errors. This led to the ecumenical Councils of Ephesus, Chalcedon and Constantinople II.
– It showed the danger of overcorrecting away from one heresy (Arianism) at the expense of an opposite heresy (Apollinarianism). Maintaining balance is key.
So while Apollinarianism was firmly rejected, the controversy generated by it contributed to the church articulating a more precise and robust orthodox Christology in the following centuries.
Key Passages on Christ’s Humanity
Here are some key biblical passages that show Christ possessed a normal and complete human nature:
– John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh” indicates Christ took on every aspect of human nature.
– Romans 1:3-4 – Christ was descended from David “according to the flesh” and declared Son of God in his spirit.
– Philippians 2:5-8 – Christ emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant and being born in human likeness.
– Hebrews 2:14,17 – Christ shared fully in human nature, being made like us in every way.
– Hebrews 4:15 – Christ was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet without sin.
– Luke 2:52 – The child Jesus grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and men.
– John 11:33,35 – Jesus wept at Lazarus’ tomb, showing full human emotion.
– Luke 22:41-44 – Christ experienced agony and earnestly prayed in Gethsemane, indicating his human mind.
– 1 John 4:2 – Anyone who denies Christ came in the flesh is espousing the spirit of antichrist.
These and other verses rule out any diminishing of Christ’s full humanity, as occurred in Apollinarianism.
Wrapping Up Major Points
The Apollinarian controversy in the 4th century established some key points:
– Jesus Christ must be fully divine to save humans and reveal God, as upheld against Arianism.
– Jesus Christ must also be fully human (body, soul, spirit) to represent humans, die in their place, and offer an example of holy living.
– In Christ, there is a hypostatic union – the divine and human natures are united perfectly without confusion or separation in the one person of Christ.
– Heresies typically overemphasize one aspect of truth at the expense of another rather than maintaining proper biblical balance.
– Controversies in the early church prompted key theological clarification and articulation of orthodox dogma. The Apollinarian controversy contributed to this process.
So in summary, Apollinarianism was a well-intentioned but misguided attempt to uphold Christ’s deity and the unity of his person. By diminishing his humanity, it was rightly rejected as heretical. But the episode contributed to the church’s increasing theological maturity and grasp of biblical Christology in the early centuries.