Do I really need my parents’ consent to get married?

Q: I’m a Christian, female, 28 and from the South West. My parents are elders in an orthodox church while I attend a Pentecostal church. My parents have refused to give their consent to my getting married to a particular guy simply because he is from another part of the country. They continually remind me of Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Do I really need their consent to get married? [First published on 1 February 2009]

You are an adult and you are responsible for your actions and decisions in the eyes of the Lord. The Bible passage you quoted emphasizes the need for children to obey their parents in the Lord. In the Lord there are no Greeks or Jews, Ibos or Yorubas (1Corinthians 12:12-13) . The Bible clearly instructs believers to marry only believers. Tribal or racial difference is not a valid scriptural reason to be against an intended marriage. Parental responsibility lies in pointing their kids in the right direction so that when they’re old they won’t be lost (Proverbs 22:6 (MSG)).

Do you really need their consent? It will be good, but not necessary, to carry them along.