Apaugasma, Radiance, Brightness
Apaugasma. One of my favorite words of scripture, Strong’s concordance defines this Greek word, “apaugasma”, as “brightness, radiance” (ie: effulgence:–brightness).
In Hebrews 1:3, the author writes, “[Jesus] who being the brightness [apaugasma] of His [God’s] glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”.
The author of Hebrews points to Christ as the “brightness” of God’s glory, the radiance of Him and the express image of … God. One way to think of this is to think of the flame of a candle. When we strike a match and light a candle, the flame of that match and the flame of the candle is the same.
The two flames contain all the same physical characteristics of each other – there is no difference.
When you see the flame of the candle, you have seen the flame of the match. And vice versa.
In John, Jesus is conversing with the disciples when Philip says to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” — John 14:8.
Jesus responds, John 14:9-10a, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?”
Like the candle and match flames, Jesus has all the same characteristics as the Father.
He is the “brightness”, the apaugasma, and the express image of the Father. There is no difference. As Christ also boldly taught us in John 10:30, “I and My Father are one”.
And, in John 14:6, Christ proclaimed, “I [Jesus Christ] am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Because He is the brightness and express image of the Father, because He has all the same characteristics and because He has said it Himself, there is no other way to the Father except through Him – that is, through Jesus Christ.
Among other things, the candles on the altar remind us of His brightness, His apaugasma, and His express image of the Father. Amen?
Blessings.
