Incarnation (Christianity)

Christ en majesté, Matthias Grünewald, 16th c.: Resurrection of Jesus

In the Christian religion, the Incarnation is the belief that God the Son, the second person of the Trinity who had no beginning and was fully divine, "made himself nothing" by becoming a human being named Jesus. Since Jesus had two natures—human and divine—he was at the same time fully human and fully God.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

— Philippians 2:6-8 NIV

In the Incarnation, the divine nature of Christ was joined—but not mixed—with human nature. Two natures in one person: Jesus was both "truly God and truly man". The Incarnation is celebrated each year at the Feast of the Incarnation, also known as the Annunciation.

Related pages

• God-man (mystic)
• Incarnation
• Pre-existence of Christ
• Trinity
• God the Son
• Avatar, the Hindu idea of a deity's "descent" or incarnation upon a world

Other websites

• The Seven Ecumenical Councils, from the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vols. 2-14 (Trinitarian)
• On the Incarnation Archived 2005-07-20 at the Wayback Machine by Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. (Trinitarian)
• The Incarnation from the Catholic Encyclopedia. (Trinitarian)
• 'De trinitatis erroribus', by Michael Servetus (Oneness)
• The Oneness of God Archived 2008-02-16 at the Wayback Machine by Dr. David K. Bernard. (Oneness)