Marriage and Sin / The Old Covenant
Sin disrupted the original harmony of marriage, yet God prepared his people through the Old Covenant for the full restoration in Christ.
CCC 1606–1617
Key Points
The central teachings from this section of the Catechism.
Every man experiences evil around him and within himself. The original harmony of man and woman was shattered by sin, bringing discord, domination, infidelity, and jealousy into their relationship. Marriage now requires effort, self-denial, and grace.
Despite the disorders that sin brought, God in his mercy never abandoned married couples. To heal the wounds of sin, man and woman need the help of grace — which God has never refused them.
The moral conscience regarding the unity and indissolubility of marriage developed under the pedagogy of the Old Law. Although polygamy and divorce were tolerated, the Law of Moses served to protect women and children and prepare hearts for the fullness of Christ's teaching.
The prophets saw the marriage covenant as an image of God's covenant with Israel. The Books of Ruth, Tobit, Song of Songs, and the writings of the prophets deepened this understanding, preparing the way for the New Covenant in Christ.
From the Catechism
"Every man experiences evil around him and within himself. This experience makes itself felt in the relationships between man and woman. Their union has always been threatened by discord, a spirit of domination, infidelity, jealousy, and conflicts."
— CCC 1606
"According to faith the disorder we notice so painfully does not stem from the nature of man and woman, nor from the nature of their relations, but from sin."
— CCC 1607
"Nevertheless, the order of creation persists, though seriously disturbed. To heal the wounds of sin, man and woman need the help of the grace that God in his infinite mercy has never refused them."
— CCC 1608
Scripture
"To the woman he said, 'I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.'"
"I will betroth you to me for ever; I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord."
"The Lord was witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant."
Common Questions
The Catechism teaches that the difficulties in marriage stem not from God's design but from the effects of original sin. Discord, domination, and infidelity are wounds of sin, not features of marriage. Grace is the remedy God offers to heal these wounds.
The Catechism explains that God's pedagogy was gradual. Moses permitted divorce because of the "hardness of heart" of the people, but this was a concession, not God's ideal. The Law still served to protect the vulnerable and gradually educate conscience toward the fullness of Christ's teaching.
Prophets like Hosea, Jeremiah, and Isaiah portrayed God's relationship with Israel as a marriage. Israel's infidelity to God was described as adultery, while God's faithful love despite betrayal pointed forward to Christ's unbreakable union with the Church.
Sin wounded marriage, but God never abandoned his people. Through the prophets he revealed marriage as an image of his own faithful covenant love — preparing the way for Christ to restore marriage to its original dignity.