A Primer on Mystical Union

Offered at Pr. Wilken's suggestion, for those who wish to explore the role of mystical union in early Lutheran theology, a beginning by offering some citations from Blessed Martin Luther, Blessed Martin Chemnitz, and Blessed Johann Gerhard:

What great honor and glorious worship that is has been said above, namely, that the divine glory is upheld and God is made to be the true God. In return, God will doubtless bring that person to divine honor and as a result make him a god and a child of God. Who can even estimate what good things such honor and worship of God produce? (Admonition Concerning the Sacrament, AE 38:111), Martin Luther

To give a simple illustration of what takes place in this eating: it is as if a wolf devoured a sheep and the sheep were so powerful that it transformed the wolf and turned him into a sheep. So, when we eat Christ's flesh physically and spiritually, the food is so powerful that it transforms us into itself and out of fleshly, sinful, mortal men makes spiritual, holy, living men. (This is My Body, AE 37:101), Martin Luther

Christ, therefore, saith he, thus joined and united unto me, and abiding in me, liveth this life in me which now I live; yea Christ Himself IS this life, which now I live. Wherefore Christ and I in this behalf are both one. This union or conjunction, then, is the cause that I am delivered from the terror of the law and sin, am separate from myself, and translated unto Christ and His kingdom, which is a kingdom of grace, righteousness, peace, life, salvation and eternal glory. Whilst I thus abide in Him and dwell in Him, what evil is there that can hurt me? (Great Galatians 2:20) - Martin Luther

As concerning justification, Christ and I must be entirely conjoined, and united together, so that He may live in me and I in Him. And this is a wonderful manner of speech. Because Christ liveth in me, look now what grace, righteousness, life, peace and salvation is in me, it is His, and yet it is mine also, by that inseparable union and conjunction which is through faith by the which Christ and I are made as it were one body in spirit. (Great Galatians 2:20) - Martin Luther

Men are to be admonished that they should through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh and firmly adhere to Christ by faith and through the use of the Word and Sacraments become more and more united with Him and seek from God the gift of perseverance, and wrestle, lest the wantonness of the flesh drive out the gift of perseverance. (Examination of the Council of Trent, I:607) - Martin Chemnitz

Christ instituted that in the Lord's Supper bread and wine should be the means or instruments through which He wishes to offer and communicate His body and blood to those who eat, in order that He might be and remain in the believers not only through faith and Spirit but, as the ancients speak, also by natural or substantial participation and might thereafter be united to them more and more." (Examination of the Council of Trent, II:251) - Martin Chemnitz

In the Supper of the new covenant the same victim which was sacrificed to God for our sins is also given to us in the Lord's Supper and shared in by the communicants, so that through this participation in this same victim we are joined to Christ and made partakers of all His merits. (The Lord's Supper, p. 146) - Martin Chemnitz

Therefore, in order that we might be able to lay hold on Christ more intimately and retain Him more firmly, not only did He assume our nature but He also restored it again for us by distributing His body and blood to us in the Supper, so that by this connection with His humanity, which has been assumed from us and is again communicated back to us, He might draw us into communion and union with the deity itself. (The Lord's Supper, p. 188) - Martin Chemnitz

Theology takes its name from God: first, by reason of its principal effective cause, that is, that it is a divinely revealed teaching; second, and indeed especially, by reason of its subject or object, that it makes men divine or "partakers of the divine nature." (On the Nature of Theology and Scripture, p. 27) - Johann Gerhard

Thus this Holy Supper will transform our souls; this most divine sacrament will make us divine men, until finally we shall enter upon the fulness of the blessedness that is to come, filled with all the fulness of God, and wholly like Him. (Sacred Medtiations XX) - Johann Gerhard

The glory of the Head is the glory also of the members. Where our flesh reigns there let us believe that we too shall reign. Where our blood rules there let us hope that we too shall be glorious; though our sins forbid this, yet our participation in His holy nature makes it possible. (Sacred Meditations XXI) - Johann Gerhard

It is by faith alone that we are made partakers of this blessed spiritual union, as it is written, "I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulness." By faith we are engrafted as branched into Christ, the spiritual vine, so that we derive all our life and strength from Him; and as those united in marriage are no longer twain, but one flesh, so "he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" because Christ dwells in our hearts through faith. (Sacred Meditations XIII) - Johann Gerhard

Our spiritual Head is Christ and He submitted to holy baptism that the members of His mystical body might enjoy its saving benefits. (Sacred Meditations XVII) - Johann Gerhard

Great indeed is the honor put upon our bodies, inasmuch as they are the dwelling places of our souls redeemed and fed by the body of Christ, and are the temples of the Holy Ghost and the abodes of the adorable Trinity. It cannot be that they should ever remain in the grave, since they are nourished with the body and blood of our Lord. He is the wonderful bread of life. We partake of it and become one body with Christ. We are members of Christ; we are animated by His Spirit; we are nourished with His body and blood. (Sacred Meditations XVIII) - Johann Gerhard

We are united to Him not only because He hath assumed our nature, but also because His body and blood are communicated to us in the Holy Supper. (Sacred Meditations XVIII) - Johann Gerhard

Nor does Christ simply speak the word of comfort to our souls, He also takes up His abode in us; He feeds our souls not with heavenly manna, but, what is far better, with His own blessed self.... What can be more intimately united to our Lord than his own human nature, which He hath taken, in His incarnation, into fellowship with the adorable Trinity, and thus made the treasury of all the blessings that heaven has to bestow? What is so intimately joined to Him as His own body and blood? With this truly heavenly food, He refreshes our souls, who are as miserable worms in the dust before Him, and makes us partakers of His own nature; why then shall we not enjoy His gracious favor? (Sacred Meditations XIX) - Johann Gerhard

But behold, in this holy Supper, more than a paradise; for here the soul of the creature is spiritually fed with the flesh of his almighty Creator. The conscience is cleansed from all its guilty stains in the blood of the Son of God. The members of Christ, their spiritual Head, are nourished with His own body; the believing soul feasts itself at a divine and heavenly banquet. The holy flesh of God, which the angelic hosts adore in the unity of the divine nature, before which archangels bow in lowly reverence, and before which the principalities and power of heaven tremble and stand in awe, is become the spiritual nourishment of our souls! (Sacred Meditations XIX) - Johann Gerhard

Come, heavenly Bridegroom, Light divine,
And deep within my soul now shine;
There light a flame undying!
In Your one body let us be
As living branches of a tree,
Your life our lives supplying.
Now, though daily
Earth's deep sadness
May perplex us
And distress us,
Yet with heavenly joy You bless us!
(LSB 395:2)