Christotokos is a Greek term that means “Christ-bearer” or “Mother of Christ.” It is a title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, emphasizing her role as the mother of the human Jesus, Christ. This term became significant in the early church debates about the nature of Christ and how to properly understand the relationship between His divine and human natures. The title Christotokos is often contrasted with the term Theotokos, meaning “God-bearer” or “Mother of God,” which was affirmed by the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. The debate over these titles is closely linked to the broader theological discussion on Christology—the study of the nature and person of Jesus Christ.

Historical and Theological Background

The Nestorian Controversy

The term Christotokos is most closely associated with Nestorius, a 5th-century Archbishop of Constantinople. Nestorius objected to the use of the term Theotokos for Mary, arguing that it could imply that Mary was the mother of God in a way that might confuse the distinction between Christ’s divine and human natures. Instead, he preferred the term Christotokos, which he believed more accurately reflected Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus in His human nature, without implying that she was the source of His divine nature.

• Nestorianism: Nestorius’s views led to what became known as Nestorianism, a Christological doctrine that emphasizes the disjunction between the human and divine natures of Christ. Nestorius argued that these two natures were distinct and should not be confused, which led him to prefer the term Christotokos.
• Council of Ephesus (431 AD): The controversy over these titles was a central issue at the Council of Ephesus. The council condemned Nestorius’s teachings and affirmed the use of the title Theotokos, emphasizing the unity of Christ’s divine and human natures. The council declared that Jesus is one person with two natures—fully God and fully man—and that Mary could rightly be called the Theotokos because she bore Jesus, who is both God and man.

Key Theological Issues

The debate over Christotokos versus Theotokos raises several important theological questions:

1. The Unity of Christ’s Natures: The central issue is how to understand the relationship between Christ’s divine and human natures. The orthodox Christian position, affirmed at the Council of Ephesus and later at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), is that Christ is one person with two distinct but united natures—fully divine and fully human.
2. The Role of Mary: The title Christotokos highlights Mary’s role as the mother of the human Jesus, but the title Theotokos emphasizes the unity of Christ’s person. By calling Mary Theotokos, the church affirms that the one she bore is fully God, not just a human being who later became divine.
3. Implications for Christology: The debate has implications for how Christians understand the incarnation. If Christ’s divinity and humanity are too sharply divided, as Nestorius’s use of Christotokos might imply, it could undermine the doctrine of the incarnation, where God truly becomes man in the person of Jesus Christ.

Biblical Considerations

From a Christian biblical worldview, the term Theotokos better reflects the biblical witness to the identity of Jesus Christ as both fully God and fully man.

The Incarnation

The doctrine of the incarnation is central to Christian faith, teaching that Jesus is both fully God and fully human.

• John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” This verse affirms that the Word (Jesus), who is fully divine, became flesh. This supports the idea that Mary bore the one who is both fully God and fully human.
• Matthew 1:23: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). This passage emphasizes that Jesus is God incarnate, supporting the use of Theotokos.

The Divinity and Humanity of Christ

The New Testament consistently presents Jesus as one person with both divine and human natures.

• Colossians 2:9: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” This verse asserts that Jesus is fully God, even as He took on human flesh. Therefore, Mary, as His mother, bore the one who is fully God, not just a human being.
• Hebrews 1:3: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” This passage supports the understanding that Jesus, in His incarnation, is fully God, making Theotokos an appropriate title for Mary.

The Role of Mary

The Bible portrays Mary as the mother of Jesus, who is both God and man.

• Luke 1:43: When Elizabeth greets Mary, she says, “But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Elizabeth recognizes that Mary is carrying her “Lord,” which implies a recognition of Jesus’ divine status even before His birth.

Theological Implications of Christotokos

Christological Clarity

The term Christotokos emphasizes the humanity of Jesus, which is an important aspect of Christian theology. However, if it is used to the exclusion of Theotokos, it risks creating a division between Christ’s human and divine natures that is not supported by the biblical witness.

• Chalcedonian Definition: The Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) provided a clear statement on the nature of Christ, affirming that Jesus is one person in two natures, without confusion, change, division, or separation. This definition rejects the idea that the divine and human natures of Christ can be so sharply divided that Mary could be considered only the mother of His humanity.

The Unity of Christ’s Person

The use of Theotokos helps safeguard the unity of Christ’s person, ensuring that His divinity and humanity are understood as fully integrated in one person.

• Ephesians 4:5: “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” The unity of Christ as “one Lord” supports the use of Theotokos to emphasize that the one person of Jesus Christ, whom Mary bore, is both God and man.

Theological Balance

A balanced Christology recognizes the importance of both terms: Christotokos highlights the reality of Jesus’ humanity, while Theotokos affirms the full divinity of the one whom Mary bore. However, Theotokos is more theologically precise in reflecting the biblical teaching that Jesus is both fully God and fully man.

Conclusion

From a Christian biblical worldview, the term Christotokos—while accurately reflecting Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus in His humanity—falls short of expressing the full biblical truth of who Jesus is. The title Theotokos, affirmed by the early church, better captures the reality of the incarnation: that Mary bore not just a human being, but God Himself in human flesh. This title safeguards the essential Christian belief in the unity of Christ’s divine and human natures and helps ensure that the doctrine of the incarnation is rightly understood. While Christotokos may emphasize an important aspect of Christology, it is Theotokos that fully expresses the mystery and glory of God becoming man in the person of Jesus Christ.