John 6:56 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

He that acknowledgeth and receiveth me, though he seeth me as a man, consisting of flesh and blood, and that particularly applies himself to me as dying for the sins of the world, and committeth his soul in all its concerns for life and salvation to me, is united to me, and I to him: he is united to me by faith and love, Ephesians 3:17 1 John 3:23,24 1 John 4:16; and I am united to him by a mutual love, 1 Thessalonians 14:23, and by my Holy Spirit. As our bread and meat, which we are nourished by, doth not dwell in us, and nourish, unless we eat it; so neither doth Christ do good to any soul, unless such a soul as by faith receiveth him, and believeth in him. What is said in this verse maketh it evident that these verses cannot be understood of any sacramental eating, for it is not true that Christ dwelleth in every soul, or that every soul dwelleth and abideth in Christ, who doth sacramentally eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ. All unions are either natural or political unions. The strictest natural union is that of the head and members, the vine and the branches. The strictest political union is that of the husband and wife, Genesis 2:24. The union betwixt Christ and a believing soul is set out by all these, 1 Thessalonians 15:1 Ephesians 5:30,31 Col 1:18. For the nature of this union, see divines who have wrote on this argument.