The scum thrown off in the smelting process.
“Esteemed by Their Brethren as Dross”
Celsus, the second-century philosopher, is often quoted in descriptions of the infant Christian church. The basic material of his description—the general social level of the converts—is much like Paul’s, but the spirit is sharply different. Christians, he held, “do not even want to give or to receive a reason for what they believe, and use such expressions as ’Do not ask questions; just believe’ and ’Thy faith will save thee.’...
Their injunctions are like this: ’Let no one educated, no one wise, no one sensible draw near. For anyone stupid, anyone uneducated, anyone who is a child, let him come boldly.’ By the fact that they themselves admit that these people are worthy of their God, they show that they want and are able to convince only the foolish, dishonourable, and stupid, and only slaves, women, and little children....
In private houses also we see wool-workers, cobblers, laundry workers, and the most bucolic and illiterate yokels, who would not dare lo say anything at all in front of their elders and more intelligent masters.” (Origen, in Contra Celsum 1:9; 3:44.)