Ethical Teaching and Its Spiritual Foundation in Christian Religious Education: An Exegetical Study of Matthew 7:12 at SD Negeri 040475 Tigaserangkai

Abstract

This study examines the ethical teaching practices of Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers and their spiritual foundation based on Matthew 7:12 (the Golden Rule) at SD Negeri 040475 Tigaserangkai. The school serves 30 Christian students guided by three Christian teachers, offering a meaningful context to explore how biblical ethics are embodied within a public elementary education setting. Employing a qualitative descriptive design, this research integrates exegetical analysis with field-based inquiry. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with CRE teachers, classroom observations, and document analysis of lesson plans and character education materials. The exegetical study was conducted using a historical-grammatical approach to uncover the theological and ethical dimensions of Matthew 7:12 as the core analytical framework. The findings reveal that the Golden Rule functions as a living spiritual foundation that shapes teachers’ relational attitudes, instructional strategies, and moral exemplarity. Ethical teaching is primarily transmitted through teacher modeling, supported by dialogical learning, contextual moral reflection, and consistent classroom discipline grounded in compassion and justice. Students demonstrate growth in empathy, honesty, responsibility, cooperation, and peaceful conflict resolution, indicating that ethical understanding is internalized not only cognitively but also affectively and behaviorally. This study concludes that ethical teaching in CRE becomes transformative when it is rooted in spiritual formation, embodied through teacher integrity, and contextualized within local culture. The results recommend continuous spiritual and pedagogical formation for CRE teachers to strengthen ethical education in pluralistic public school environments.