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Question 7

Arnobius claims the “unlearned and ignorant” quality of the writers is “a stronger reason to believe” because “truth never seeks deceitful polish”; how do you react to the idea that “flashy language” can function as a kind of deceit, and where are you personally tempted to use polish to gain authority?

Another way to ask: Arnobius said truth doesn’t need flashy, polished words, and that polish can hide deceit. Do you agree that “flashy language” can mislead, and where are you tempted to sound impressive to gain authority?

Direct Answer Bercot presents Arnobius as arguing that flashy language can mask deception by making a message seem more trustworthy than it is, while simple language can signal straightforward truth-telling. The transcript doesn’t address personal temptations directly, but it invites self-examination about using style to gain credibility.

Support from Transcript:

Arnobius reports the Roman accusation: Christians wrote Scripture with “unlearned and ignorant” men.
He replies: “is this not a stronger reason to believe? For our writings have not been adulterated by any false statements.”
He claims simple writers “did not know how to make their accounts deceitful with flashy language.”
Key line: “For truth never seeks deceitful polish.”
Bercot connects this to Christianity’s social reality: early Christians came “mainly from the uneducated classes,” and Scripture was in language for “the uneducated masses.”

Discussion Follow-ups In ministry conversations, do we ever lean on impressive words, technical terms, or a confident tone to substitute for spiritual reality—“demonstration of the Spirit and of power”?

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