In 2023, my sister was diagnosed with Stage 1B breast cancer. She immediately underwent four months of initial chemotherapy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy aimed at preventing secondary tumour formation.
Thankfully, last year, after undergoing radiotherapy at the Royal Marsden hospital, she received the ‘all clear’ from her doctor.
The doctors chose Kadcyla (Trastuzumab emtansine) for my sister’s adjuvant chemotherapy. Despite being designed to treat HER2 breast cancer, the drug does cause a range of unpleasant side-effects, some of which my sister experienced. For example, she complained of constant tingling in her hands and feet (known as peripheral neuropathy).
As I read up on Kadcyla, I became more aware of the importance of correct dosing which is based on complex ‘body surface area’ calculations.
One study that I read explained that, in chemotherapy, underdosing is far more common and less easily recognised than overdosing. In fact, the study estimated that underdosing can occur in over 30% of patients receiving the standard regimen.
While overdosing can result in symptoms of toxic shock, underdosing can result in significantly reduced long-term survival. That said, a consequence of underdosing is reduced incidence of the known adverse side effects.
As I reflected on those facts, I suddenly realised that the ministry of the gospel can also be plagued with overdosing and underdosing and result in similarly dire consequences for human souls.
The risks of overdosing
As zealous church leaders contend for the faith, they may try to intensify the demand for repentance with their own self-styled combative and implacable tone. However, this approach can do more harm than good.
The Biblical remedy for such toxic censoriousness is St. Paul’s reminder that authentic Christian ministry is characterised by gently persistent instruction: ‘And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will’ (2 Tim. 2:24 – 26).
In contrast, the attractional church movement (which prioritises the desires and values of potential converts in its conduct of public worship and ministry) is analogous to chemo underdosing.
The risks of underdosing
Like chemo underdosing, gospel underdosing results in reduced incidence of known adverse side-effects; one of which is the offence provoked in the impenitent by conviction of the Holy Spirit. This is because the message of Jesus Christ demands that we surrender our pride, self-righteousness, and worldly wisdom.
However, when the gospel is watered down and combined with worldly tactics of mass persuasion, the consequent underdosage relieves the impenitent of the usual side-effect of truth: conviction of sin. Instead, like the false prophets of old, preachers are likely to be showered with widespread praise, if they shy away from warning that the punishment of hell awaits those who adamantly and permanently reject the gospel.
I remember that, after my sister was diagnosed, the oncologist explained to her the importance of following the prescribed drug regimen without exception. That doctor also didn’t shy away from explaining the dire consequences of abandoning the unpleasant treatment.
In contrast with that doctor’s candour, many preachers avoid spelling out the dire consequences of abandoning the gospel.
For example, to the relief to impenitent churchgoers, there are cowardly preachers who (like the Pharisees who ‘loved the praise of men more than the praise of God’ Luke 12:43) avoid any mention that dire consequences await those who abandon ‘this salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.’ (Heb. 2:3-4)
I’m aware that some attractional churches have gone as far as intentionally demanding that verses that mention ‘hell’ should be excluded from worship songs played during their Sunday morning service.
Let’s not fool ourselves that any Christian minister who intentionally underdoses the gospel to improve its worldly appeal is any better than an oncologist who intentionally underdoses a chemotherapy regimen.
In both cases, the omission abandons the duty of care. Any doctor found to be intentionally underdosing would be publicly disciplined and struck off. So why do leaders of attractional churches expect faithful Christians to tolerate their intentional underdosing of the gospel?
Are we missing the point about ‘equity’?
Over the past few weeks, the word “equity” has almost become a pejorative.One writer on the en website expressed …