The passage in Wisdom (Wisd. 7:25 f.) is capable of bearing either meaning. The threefold succession
ajpauvgasma, e[soptron,
eijkwvn
,
effulgence, mirror, image
, no less than v. 25, appears to favour the sense of effulgence. Otherwise
e[soptron
interrupts the order of thought.
In this passage the sense
reflection
is quite possible, but it appears to be less appropriate, as introducing a third undefined notion of that which reflects. Moreover the truth suggested by reflection is contained in
carakthvr
, to which effulgence offers a more expressive complement; and the Greek Fathers with unanimity have adopted the sense
effulgence
according to the idea expressed in the Nicene Creed,
Light of Light.
Several of their comments are of interest as bringing out different sides of the image: Orig.
in Joh.
32.18
o{lh" me;nou\n oi\mai th'" dovxh" tou' qeou' aujtou' ajpauvgasma ei\nai to;n uiJovn...fqavnein mevntoi ge ajpo; tou' ajpaugavsmato" touvtou th'" o{lh" dovxh" merika; ajpaugavsmata ejpi; th;n loiph;n logikh;n ktivsin
. Comp.
c. Cels.
v. 18;
de princ.
1, 2, 4 (and Redepenning's note);
Hom. in
Jer. 9:4
oujci; ejgevnnhsen oJ path;r to;n uiJo;n kai; ajpevlusen aujto;n ajpo; th'" genevsew" aujtou', ajllj ajei; genna'/ aujto;n o{son ejsti; to; fw'" poihtiko;n tou' ajpaugavsmato"
.
Greg. Nyss. de perfecta Christ. forma , Migne Patr. Gr. xlvi. p. 265 dovxan kai; uJpovstasin wjnovmase to; uJperkeivmenon panto;" ajgaqou' ... to; de; sunafev" te kai; ajdiavstaton tou' uiJou' pro;" to;n patevra diermhneuvwn...ajpauvgasma dovxh" kai; carakth'ra uJpostavsew" prosagoreuvei ... ajlla; kai; oJ th;n ajpaugavzousan fuvsin nohvsa" kai; to; ajpauvgasma tauvth" pavntw" katenovhse, kai; oJ to; mevgeqo" th'" uJpostavsew" ejn nw'/ labw;n tw'/ ejpifainomevnw/ carakth'ri pavntw" ejmmetrei' th;n uJpovstasin .
Chrysostom ( Hom. 2.2) ajpauvgasma ei\pen...i{na deivxh/ o{ti kajkei' (John 8:12) ou{tw" ei[rhtai : dh'lon de; wJ" fw'" ejk fwtov" .
Theodoret ad loc. to; ajpauvgasma kai; ejk tou' purov" ejsti kai; su;n tw'/ puriv ejsti...ajei; de; hJ dovxa, ajei; toivnun kai; to; ajpauvgasma .
OEcumenius ad loc. dia; tou' ajpauvgasma th;n kata; fuvsin ejk tou' patro;" provodon tou' uiJou' dhloi' : oujde;n ga;r o{lw" oujdamou' kata; cavrin kai; eijspoivhsin proveisin ajpauvgasmav tino", oujk ajpo; tou' hJlivou, oujk ajpo; tou' purov", oujk ajfj eJtevrou tinov", ajfj ou| pevfuken ajpauvgasma proievnai .
It is indeed true that the sense of effulgence passes into that of reflection so far as both present the truth that it is through Christ that God becomes visible to man. But in the one case the nature of Christ is emphasised and in the other His office. The effulgence is the necessary manifestation of the luminous body: the reflection is the manifestation through some medium as it takes place in fact.
It is however necessary to observe that effulgence is not any isolated ray, but the whole bright image which brings before us the source of light. Comp. Greg. Nyss.
c. Eunom.
viii., Migne
Patr. Gr.
xlv. p. 773
wJ" ejk panto;" tou' hJliakou' kuvklou th'/ tou' fwto;" lamphvdoni ajpaugavzetai, ouj ga;r to; mevn ti lavmpei to; de; ajlampev" ejsti tou' kuvklou
:
ou{tw" o{lh hJ dovxa h{ti" ejsti;n oJ path;r tw'/ ejx eJauth'" ajpaugavsmati, toutevsti tw'/ ajlhqinw'/ fwti; pantacovqen periaugavzetai
. And again, while the general figure guards the conception of the permanence of the relation between the source and the light, the effulgence is regarded in its completeness (
ajpauvgasma
)the light flashed forth, and not the light in the continuity of the stream.
th'" dovxh" aujtou'
] The glory of God is the full manifestation of His