When we think about what makes the Christian faith believable, we often turn to arguments or doctrines. But the New Testament offers something more foundational: the “one anothers.” Commands like love one another (John 13:34), bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), encourage one another (1 Thess. 5:11), and forgive one another (Eph. 4:32) aren’t just moral instructions, they are the architecture of belief itself.
Sociologist Peter Berger coined the term plausibility structure to describe the social frameworks that make certain beliefs feel credible. In this sense, the “one anothers” function as the Church’s plausibility structure. They establish relational credibility by making Christian truth not merely taught but tangibly experienced. When love, grace, and forgiveness are consistently practiced in a community, the gospel moves from theory (mere words and ideas ) to reality; it becomes plausible through relationship.
In a world driven by individualism, cynicism, and performance, the “one anothers” offer a striking alternative. They create a community of contrast where interdependence, humility, and care reorient what is believable. The Church, at its best, becomes not just a place where truth is explained, but where truth is embodied.
More than that, the “one anothers” enact the very story they proclaim. They are the lived expression of the gospel, that Christ has reconciled people to God and to each other. As these commands are practiced, they make the Christian story visible and compelling, both to those inside and outside the faith.
And finally, they help sustain belief. People don’t hold onto their faith through argument alone, but through habits of belonging. Encouragement, correction, hospitality, and service are the patterns of life that keep believers oriented toward the truth and beauty of the gospel in the rhythms of everyday life.
In short, the “one anothers” are not just ethical imperatives, they are the relational fabric that makes Christian belief livable, visible, and credible. Through them, the gospel is not only proclaimed but performed and it is in that performance that the faith becomes both believable and beautiful.
Jesus never said they will know us by our clever argumentation, or even by our love for the poor. He did say they will know us by our love for one another (John 13:35). And “one another” doesn’t mean the world. It means us. The credibility of our message rests not merely in our logic, but in our life together.
Well said! Truly a wonderful read.