“Along with all those who profess the orthodox faith, I too declare my belief that the same [Jesus] is God and man, but not in the manner in which Apollinaris thinks. For the divinity does not become earthly, nor does the humanity become something heavenly, as he maintains; rather, the power of the Most High, through the Holy Spirit, over-shadowed the human nature and was formed therein; that is to say, the portion of flesh was formed in the immaculate Virgin. For this reason, the Child born of her is called Son of the Most High. In truth, the divine power makes possible a certain affinity of human nature with God, while the flesh makes it possible for God to have a certain relation with man.”
Gregory of Nyssa , Against Apollinaris 6; PG 45, 1136 C-D.
In short, Apollinaris thought Christ did not have a human soul and it was replaced by the Son’s divine nature: the Logos. Without a human soul, Christ will not be a real man. The scripture teaches that Christ was fully human; he experienced joy and sadness, which belong to the soul. If Apollinaris’ teachings were true, Christ is not a God-man, nor can they be a model for the Christian life. So his theory was rejected.
Christ came so we would be the sons and daughters of God. His true incarnation allowed us to be in communion with Him and live for, by and through Him.
If you are interested in more quotes on Virgin Mary, you can find them in Mary and the Fathers of the Church on Amazon in both in Kindle and paperback formats.
References:
Gambero, L., 1999. Mary and the Fathers of the Church 1st ed. Translated by Buffer, T., San Francisco: Ignatius Press. p. 153.
