Council of Ephesus

Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople, objected to calling Mary "Theotokos" (God-bearer) and spoke in ways that suggested the divine Son and the human Jesus were two distinct persons. Cyril of Alexandria answered from Scripture: the Word became flesh (John 1:14); the one who was in the form of God took the form of a servant (Phil 2:5–8); the child born is called Mighty God (Isa 9:6). If the Son and Jesus were two persons, the incarnation would collapse and the cross would be the death of a mere man. The council affirmed that the one Christ is truly God and truly man, and that Mary bore that one Person.

Ephesus guarded the reality of the incarnation. It set the stage for Chalcedon's fuller definition twenty years later. Its concern was Christ, not Mary — the title "Theotokos" was defended because of who her Son is.

• John 1:14— The Word became flesh
• Philippians 2:5-8— Form of God, form of a servant
• Isaiah 9:6— The child born is Mighty God

• ·Council of Ephesus — decrees
• ·Council of Ephesus — overview

• council_or_creed

  Council of Chalcedon

  Set stage for Chalcedon