It is not uncommon for one Christian teacher or group to accuse another professing Christian teacher or group of holding ideas about worship and communion that are “really just pagan.” Or perhaps it someone will attack a theory of being “the Old Covenant shadows.”

Whatever the accuracy of such associations, I just want to point out that the association by itself does not prove anyone to be in error. We know this because the Apostle Paul used both pagan worship and OT worship to teach positively on the Lord’s Supper:

 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

So there you have it: We participate in the blood and body of Christ just like the OT worshipers who ate from the sacrifices were made participants in the altar sacrifices (perhaps both those and the regular cycle even when they weren’t present?). We participate in Christ just like pagan eaters participate in demons.

So your views of the Lord Supper, in some way, need to be pagan and Jewish enough to bring you into conformity with the teachings of the Apostle Paul.