The Table Divides and Unites
- Baptist Daily Devotional
- Jun 18
- 2 min read
Rev. Charles Oppong-Poku | June 18 2025 | Acts 11:1-4
KEY VERSE:
“So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticised him and said, ‘You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.’" Acts 11:2-3 (NIV)
MESSAGE:
The expressed objection of the Jewish Christians in this passage was not to Peter's preaching to Cornelius and other Gentiles and baptising them. Rather, they had a problem with Peter extending full fellowship to Cornelius along with his Gentile relatives and friends. The Jewish believers were shocked that Peter spent time in Cornelius' house and ate at Cornelius' table with Gentiles.
In every culture, the table holds deep meaning. To eat with someone is to welcome them, to identify with them, and to accept them. In the early Church, however, the table became a place of both division and unity. For Peter, one meal in a Gentile home sparked controversy—but also symbolised a profound gospel truth: that the love of Jesus Christ tears down walls and builds a new kind of fellowship. We can reflect on the truths that the table divides when tradition replaces the truth; the table unites when grace is the reason we sit together; and fellowship is missional.
The early Church struggled to accept Gentiles without requiring them to become Jews first. This reveals how the table can divide when traditions and personal walls are prioritised over grace. However, the table becomes a place of unity and sacred fellowship when grace—God’s unearned welcome—is the reason we gather. Jesus Christ modelled this by dining with outcasts (Matt. 9:10-11), and Peter followed by living out the gospel in shared fellowship. Our willingness to embrace those different from us reflects the true, transforming power of grace.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Who is welcome at your table—figuratively and literally? Are there traditions, biases, or fears keeping you from embracing others? Let your fellowship reflect the radical unity of the gospel.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You that You welcomed me when I was an outsider. Forgive me for the times I’ve let culture, tradition, or pride divide what You came to unite. Help me to open my heart, my home, and my table to others, that Your love may be seen and known through me. May my fellowship reflect the truth that in You, all are welcome. In Your name I pray, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 169: 2 Samuel 3 - War Between the Houses of Saul and David
DAILY word study: CRITICISED
The Greek word used here is diakrinō (διακρίνω), which means “to judge, dispute, or contend.” It suggests a strong act of separating or drawing lines between people, often through argument or opposition.
When Peter returned to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers didn’t ask questions—they criticised. Their concern wasn’t Peter’s preaching or baptising, but his fellowship. Their criticism came from deeply held religious boundaries. The word implies they were drawing a line: who’s in, who’s out. But Peter’s actions showed that the Holy Spirit had already erased that line.
Reflection:
Criticism often comes when grace disrupts tradition. But when God moves, our role is not to resist—it’s to recognise and rejoice. Are you drawing lines God has already crossed?
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