Third Council of Constantinople
Against monothelitism and monoenergism, the council confessed two natural wills and two natural operations in the one Christ, corresponding to His divine and human natures.
Historical context
Maximus the Confessor and the Lateran synod of 649 belong to the debate before this council. Maximus died in 662 and did not attend the council.
Reception
The Oriental Orthodox churches receive the first three councils, not this later council as ecumenical. Non-reception does not imply denial of Christ's complete divinity or humanity.
Perspective note
Comparative historical/source study. The original author's or church's reception is retained; inclusion does not make every claim Oriental Orthodox teaching. Historical documents retain their original claims. The reception label follows the selected church perspective; library access does not imply assent.
Key points
- The council speaks of natural wills, not two personal subjects.
- The human will is not erased by union with the Word.
- Read the definition of faith in Session XVIII before reducing the controversy to a label.
Scripture
- Luke 22:42 — Christ's prayer in Gethsemane was a key passage in the debate.
Primary sources
The definition declares:
The council's dogmatic definition explicitly confesses two natural wills and two natural operations in Christ.
in him are two natural wills and two natural operations
Passage context and translation
The council's Definition of Faith rejects Monothelitism by confessing that Christ's complete divinity and humanity include two natural wills and operations united in his one person. The prior wording in this record came from Pope Agatho's letter earlier on the linked page.
Before the excerpt
defining all this we likewise declare that
After the excerpt
indivisibly, inconvertibly, inseparably, inconfusedly, according to the teaching of the holy Fathers.
Sources and further reading
- OCA: Maximus and the two wills
- Constantinople III: acts and definition (primary collection)
- Reception: Armenian Apostolic Church, Western Europe · Faith
Modern Armenian self-description. Its dating of an official response at Dvin to 506 is not a quotation from surviving council acts. - Reception: Eastern-Oriental Orthodox Joint Commission · Second Agreed Statement
Joint commission agreement. Section 8 explicitly distinguishes the families' reception of later councils; section 10 submits recommendations to churches for action.