Attractive Quote by Irenaeus of Lyons
“Error, indeed is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced more true than truth itself.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Against Heresies, Book III, c. 180 AD
Falsehood hides behind appealing appearances, deceiving the inexperienced.
In simple terms: Deceptive ideas look attractive, fooling novices.
Key Takeaway
Look beyond surface appeal.
Themes
deception
truth
appearance
critical thinking
faith
Mood
cautious
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
practical
When to use this quote
- media literacy
- education
- scientific skepticism
- legal analysis
- marketing
Key Concepts
logic
epistemology
psychology of persuasion
Questions to Reflect On
- What signs reveal a truth’s hidden flaws?
- How can we train ourselves to see past appearances?
A Different Perspective
Even attractive ideas can be harmful if unexamined.
![“[Peter] testified to [the Jews in Acts 2] that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, the Judge of the living and dead, into whom he did also command them to be baptized for the remission of sins.” quote by Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d43/irenaeus-of-lyons-18423_baptism_peter-testified-to-the-jews-in-acts-2-th_376225.jpg)
![“And when we come to refute them, we shall show in its fitting place that this class of men [i.e., the gnostics] has been instigated by satan to a denial of that baptism which is regeneration to God, and thus to a denial of the whole faith [by denying all physical aspects of spirituality, including…” quote by Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/52f/irenaeus-of-lyons-18423_aspect_and-when-we-come-to-refute-them-we-shall_392161.jpg)
![“[Naaman] dipped himself," it says, "seven times in Jordan." It was not for nothing that Naaman of old, when suffering from leprosy, was purified upon his being baptized, but as an indication to us. For as we are lepers in sin, we are made clean by means of the sacred water and the invocation of…” quote by Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9eb/irenaeus-of-lyons-18423_babe_naaman-dipped-himself-it-says-seven-time_627335.jpg)
![“He [Jesus] fought and conquered. On the one hand, he was man who struggled for his fathers and through his obedience cancelled their disobedience. On the other hand, he bound the strong one and freed the weak and bestowed salvation on his handiwork by abolishing sin. For he is our compassionate…” quote by Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/68a/irenaeus-of-lyons-18423_adversaries_he-jesus-fought-and-conquered-on-the-one_1409679.jpg)
![“It is not necessary to seek the truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church; since the apostles, like a rich man [depositing his money] in a bank, lodged in her hands most copiously all things pertaining to the truth.” quote by Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fd9/irenaeus-of-lyons-18423_all-things_it-is-not-necessary-to-seek-the-truth-am_1540367.jpg)
