Hypostasis
Charles Buck Theological Dictionary [1]
A term literally signifying substance or subsistence, or that which is put and stands under another thing, and supports it, being its base, ground, or foundation. Thus faith is the substantial foundation of things hoped for, Hebrews 11:1 . The word is Greek, compounded of sub, under; and "sto, " I stand, I exist, q.d. "subsistentia." It likewise signifies confidence, stability, firmness, 2 Corinthians 9:4 . It is also used for person, Hebrews 1:3 . Thus we hold that there is but one nature or essence in God, but three hypostases or persons. The word has occasioned great dissensions in the ancient church, first among the Greeks, and afterwards among the Latins; but an end was put to them by a synod held at Alexandria about the year 362, at which St. Athanasius assisted; from which time the Latins made no great scruple of saying three hypostases, nor the Greek of three persons. The hypostatical union is the union of the human nature of Christ with the divine: constituting two natures in one person, and not two persons in one nature, as the Nestorians believe.
See Jesus Christ
Webster's Dictionary [2]
(1): ( n.) That which forms the basis of anything; underlying principle; a concept or mental entity conceived or treated as an existing being or thing.
(2): ( n.) Substance; subsistence; essence; person; personality; - used by the early theologians to denote any one of the three subdivisions of the Godhead, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
(3): ( n.) Principle; an element; - used by the alchemists in speaking of salt, sulphur, and mercury, which they considered as the three principles of all material bodies.
(4): ( n.) That which is deposited at the bottom of a fluid; sediment.
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [3]
(from Υ̓πό , Under, and Ἵστημι , to Stand; hence Subsistence), a term used in theology to signify Person. Thus the orthodox hold that there is but one nature or essence in God, but three hypostases or persons. This term is of very ancient use in the Church. Cyril, in a letter to Nestormus, employs it instead of Πρόσωπον , person, which did not appear to him sufficiently expressive. The term occasioned great dissensions, both among the Greeks and Latins. In the Council of Nicaea, Hypostasis was defined to mean essence or substance, so that it was heresy to say that Christ n-as of a different hypostasis from his Father. Custom, however, altered its meaning. In the necessity they were under of expressing themselves strongly against the Sabellians, the Greeks used the word Hypostasis, the Latins Personia, which proved a source of great disagreement. The barrenness of the Latin language allowed them only one word by which to translate the two Greek ones Οὐσία and Ὑπόστασις , and thus prevented them' from distinguishing essence from hypostasis. An end was put to these disputes by a synod held in Alexandria about A.D. 362, at which Athanasius assisted, when it was determined to be synonymous with Πρόσωπον . After this time the Latins made no great scruple in saying Tres Hypostases, or the Greeks three persons. — Farrar. (See Trinity); (See Homousian).
