The sacrament uniting a man and woman in lifelong covenant — instituted by God at creation and elevated by Christ as a sign of his union with the church.
Marriage is the oldest of the sacraments — instituted by God at creation, before the fall. Genesis 2:24 — 'Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh' — is the foundational text. Jesus reaffirmed this in Matthew 19:4-6, quoting Genesis 2 and adding: 'What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.' Ephesians 5:31-32 quotes Genesis 2:24 and adds: 'This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church' — making marriage a 'great mystery' (Greek: musterion — in Latin sacramentum) signifying Christ's union with his church. The Greek word musterion was translated sacramentum in the Vulgate, which is where Catholic teaching draws the term 'sacrament' for marriage. The wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11) was the location of Jesus's first miracle — his attendance at a wedding placed his stamp of blessing on the institution.
Christian marriage is the covenant union of one man and one woman, established at creation by God, witnessed by the community, and (in sacramental traditions) elevated to a sacrament by Christ. Marriage has been called the 'one sacrament that everyone can see' — its sign is publicly visible in the lives of married Christians. Five elements define Christian marriage. (1) Covenant — not contract; based on commitment, not exchange. (2) Lifelong — 'till death do us part' (Matthew 19:6). (3) Exclusive — one husband, one wife, no other sexual partners. (4) Open to children — marriage is ordered toward family in most Christian traditions, though not all marriages produce children. (5) Sacramental — for Catholic, Orthodox, and high Anglican traditions, marriage between baptized Christians is a sacrament that conveys grace. Ephesians 5:21-33 is the major NT text on Christian marriage. Paul calls husbands to love their wives 'even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it' (Eph 5:25). Paul calls wives to respect their husbands 'as unto the Lord' (Eph 5:22). Paul calls the husband-wife relationship a 'great mystery' that signifies Christ and the church (Eph 5:32). The marriage of a Christian husband and wife is meant to be a living parable of the gospel. The 'minister' of the sacrament of marriage in Catholic theology is unique among the sacraments — the spouses themselves administer it to each other through their consent. The priest is the official witness; the spouses confer the sacrament on each other. Marriage is dissolved only by death — though Catholic teaching allows annulments (declarations that the marriage was never validly contracted) under specific circumstances. Christ's words 'Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery' (Luke 16:18) ground the Christian teaching on the indissolubility of marriage.
Catholic teaching holds marriage between two baptized Christians as one of the seven sacraments. The sacrament is conferred by the spouses on each other through their mutual consent, with the priest as official witness. The marriage must be open to children (intentional sterilization or contraception is taught as gravely sinful, though natural family planning is permitted). Marriage between two Catholics requires the ceremony to be in a Catholic church or with a specific dispensation. Catholic teaching does not permit divorce — a valid marriage is dissolved only by death. Annulment is the declaration that a marriage was never validly contracted (due to lack of consent, incapacity, etc.) — a separate concept from divorce.
Eastern Orthodox practice considers marriage one of the seven mysteries (sacraments). The Orthodox marriage liturgy includes the crowning of the couple — placing crowns (sometimes flowers, sometimes metal) on their heads as a sign that they will be 'king and queen' of their household and martyrs (witnesses) to Christ in their marriage. Orthodox marriage is indissoluble in principle, but the Orthodox tradition recognizes that some marriages tragically fail. In cases of serious breakdown, the Orthodox Church permits divorce and remarriage (up to three marriages — second and third marriages have a more penitential character). The first marriage is the ideal; subsequent marriages are accommodations to human weakness.
Most Protestant traditions do not consider marriage a sacrament in the strict sense — limiting sacraments to baptism and the Eucharist — but consider marriage a holy ordinance instituted by God. Protestant views generally accept divorce and remarriage in cases of adultery (based on Matthew 19:9) and abandonment (based on 1 Corinthians 7:15). Some Protestant traditions accept divorce more broadly. Most Protestant churches will perform weddings for divorced persons in some circumstances. Otherwise, Protestant teaching on marriage closely mirrors Catholic and Orthodox teaching: lifelong, exclusive, between one man and one woman.
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
The institution of marriage
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”
“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
Marriage as sign of Christ and the church
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind...”
The love chapter — often read at weddings
In Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and many Anglican traditions, marriage is one of the seven sacraments — instituted by God at creation and elevated by Christ. Most Protestant traditions consider marriage a holy ordinance instituted by God but limit 'sacrament' to baptism and the Eucharist. Either way, Christian marriage is understood as established by God, not merely a human contract.
The Bible's foundational text on marriage is Genesis 2:24 — 'Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.' Jesus quoted this text and added 'What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder' (Matthew 19:6). Paul's most extended teaching is Ephesians 5:21-33, where he compares the husband-wife relationship to Christ and the church — making Christian marriage a living parable of the gospel. The Bible consistently presents marriage as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman.
Catholic teaching does not permit divorce in the sense of dissolving a valid marriage — what God has joined cannot be unjoined by human action (Matthew 19:6). Civil divorce may be necessary for legal or safety reasons, but the parties remain married in the eyes of the Church. However, Catholic teaching does recognize annulment — the declaration that a marriage was never validly contracted in the first place (due to lack of consent, incapacity, or other defects). Annulment is not Catholic divorce; it is a declaration of invalidity. Once annulled, the parties are free to marry again.
Catholic teaching holds that the spouses themselves are the ministers of the sacrament of marriage — they confer it on each other through their mutual consent. The priest is the official witness of the Church and pronounces the blessing, but he does not 'marry' the couple in the sacramental sense. The couple marries each other; the Church witnesses and blesses. This is unique among the seven sacraments — in the others, the minister is a priest or deacon (or in baptism's case, can be anyone using water and the trinitarian formula).