A Theology of Beauty
- Tony Vance
- Apr 16, 2015
- 5 min read
Is there a Theology of Beauty? What could I possibly mean by that, anyways? To answer both questions, let us first examine the concept and definition of beauty. “The quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest),” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/beauty). Is there a Biblical concept of beauty? The first mention of beauty (in KJV) is, Exodus 28:2 (KJV) “And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.” Interestingly, in the New Living Translation we have this, Genesis 12:14 “And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone spoke of Sarai’s beauty.” This is translated in the KJV as fair, which was a word for beauty in the King James English. So tying the two together, we have a beauty that is related to the sacred and to humanity.
So is beauty related or conceived by God? My answer would be a resounding YES! James 1:17 (KJV) “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Truly beauty is a gift of God, a treasure to behold, a blessing of His creation. Let me be as clear as possible in my idea of this subject. Beauty is the manifestation of God’s creation, as we view it. Beauty is found in a tree, waterfall, and newborn baby, be it a person or puppy. Many have realized beauty as a gift. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” Confucius said. Augustine said, “Beauty is indeed a good gift of God; but that the good may not think it a great good, God dispenses it even to the wicked.” “The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express,”-Francis Bacon. One of my favorite authors said, “Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears,” (Edgar Allan Poe).
1 Chronicles 16:29 (KJV) “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” Ah, the beauty of the King James English in this verse is a perfect point to which our discussion should invariable lead. God’s nature, His essence, is beautiful. David understood this, Psalm 27:4 (KJV) “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” Oh, to behold His beauty, indeed. God’s beauty surpasses all that we see, know, or can conceive. It is correct to say, we have not seen it, in all its glory, nor to know its full manifestation. No, our concept and understanding of God’s beauty is only given us in the manifestation, fully, of His beautiful Son.
Jesus is described in Isaiah as follows, Isaiah 53:2 (KJV) “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” Is this not saying Jesus had no beauty? Matthew Poole, in his commentary said, “when we shall look upon him, expecting to find incomparable beauty and majesty in his countenance, and carriage, and condition, we shall be altogether disappointed, and shall meet with nothing amiable or desirable in him. This the prophet speaketh in the person of the carnal and unbelieving Jews, we, i.e. our people, the Jewish nation.” The Popular Commentary by Dr. Paul E. Kretzmann's, (Old Testament, Volume 2) describes this verse as such, “In the midst of Israel's spiritual wilderness and desolation, from the well-nigh dead stump of the house and family of David, the Messiah came forth, like a shoot springing up from the roots of a tree-stump. But this remarkable happening had little or no influence on the children of Israel. For He had no attractive form; there was nothing in Him to strike the eye of natural man and to draw him to the Servant of the Lord.”
No, not in physical form is Christ’s beauty an expression of God’s. We see God as beautiful in the fullness of Christ, in the attributes that separate Him from all the men of the earth, John 1:14 (KJV) “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Truth is beautiful in its simplicity and sincerity. Grace is beautiful in its fullness, richness, and manifestation. Jesus, in the full expression of these, shows us the Father in all His beauty…rich, pure, and holy. Mary Magdalene would have not been attracted to Christ’s beautiful face, no, His beauty was in the truth He showed her. The woman caught in adultery, shamed, despised and dejected, saw no beauty in Christ’s feet, as she laid there fully exposed. No, His beauty came in the grace, dispensed, when He asked her where her accusers were, John 8:11 (KJV) “She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
I will submit now that the truest beauty, the most profound expression of it was found in the cross. Its ugliness, cruelty, and barbarism casts a shadow that shows a glorious light, causing it. The light of God’s glory, momentarily darkened on that hill, beams brightly now as we look at its marvelous beauty. Is there anything more beautiful than self-sacrifice? “Whether in Bible doctrine or in common speech, the word substitution means the replacement of one person or thing for another. Though not a Bible word, its specific meaning when related to the Scriptures is concerning the work of Christ on the cross, and by it is indicated the fact that those unmeasured, righteous judgments of God against the sinner because of his sin were borne by Christ substituting in the sinner's room and stead.” (Lewis Sperry Chafer- Major Bible Themes) Is Christ’s death on the cross the most beautiful expression? Yes, and yes, there is a beauty in this that transcends words, and descriptions. Grasp this expression of the majesty, glorious beauty of our Savior’s gift. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT) “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it’s said, cast thy eye toward Christ.