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How did the early Christian church understand the Incarnation?

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Christology The Transfiguration, the nature of Jesus as the Son of God being revealed to the apostles Peter, James, and John, mosaic icon, early 13th century; in the Louvre, Paris.

The early Christian church understood the Incarnation as the central doctrine that the preexistent Word of God assumed a human nature, becoming truly God and truly man in the person of Jesus Christ.12

This understanding was refined through centuries of debate against various interpretations deemed heretical:

Divinity and Substance: To counter Arianism, which argued Christ was a created being, the First Council of Nicaea (325 ce) affirmed that Christ was "begotten, not made" and of the same substance (homoousios) as the Father.12
Humanity and Soul: Against Apollinarianism, the church insisted that Christ possessed a complete human nature, including a human soul.2
Personal Unity: To address Nestorianism and Monophysitism, the Council of Chalcedon (451 ce) defined the hypostatic union. This doctrine maintains that Christ is perfect in deity and humanity, with both natures preserved in a single, unified person without mixture or diminution.12

Ultimately, the church viewed this union as essential for salvation, enabling Christ to share his divinity with humanity.2