Reformed Evangelical Synod of America

This statement is a product of a Council held at Chalcedon in the year 451 AD. It was born out of the various Christological controversies of the day which sought purchase in a rapidly expanding Christendom. The specific language of the Chalcedonian Confession did not translate well into other languages, and the resulting controversy caused a rift to form between what are today known as the Oriental Orthodox churches and the rest of the Church. In essence, the two sides held very similar beliefs, but, because of the differing phraseology between languages and the ever-present (even in our own age) challenges found in translating such precise statements into other tongues, they separated. As of the year 2010, while progress has been made and aspersions have been withdrawn, only limited instances of reunion between Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian Christians have been realized.

Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance (Greek: homoousios) with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer (Greek: Theotokos); one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the Fathers has handed down to us.