Teacher Competence of Christian Religious Education Educators in Teaching the Value of Obedience to God’s Commands: An Exegetical Study of Exodus 39:32 at SMP Negeri 4 Bonai Darussalam

Abstract

This study examines the competence of Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers in teaching the value of obedience to God’s commands through an exegetical reflection on Exodus 39:32 at SMP Negeri 4 Bonai Darussalam, Rokan Hulu. The research was motivated by the strategic role of CRE teachers in shaping students’ spiritual character within public school contexts. The study involved 183 Christian students and 10 Christian teachers (including the CRE teacher). Employing a quantitative descriptive design, data were collected through structured questionnaires, classroom observations, and documentation, then analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation techniques. The findings indicate that the overall competence of CRE teachers is in the high category, particularly in pedagogical planning, biblical mastery, and classroom interaction. Students’ understanding and practice of obedience to God’s commands were also found to be high, with a positive relationship between teacher competence and students’ internalization of obedience values. The exegetical analysis of Exodus 39:32 reinforces the theological foundation that obedience in the biblical tradition is expressed through careful, faithful, and complete execution of God’s instructions, which aligns with the educational task of CRE teachers. However, the study also notes the need for more contextual learning strategies and authentic assessment to strengthen behavioral consistency among students. The study concludes that the competence of CRE teachers significantly contributes to the cultivation of obedience values and recommends continuous professional development, integrative spiritual mentoring, and collaborative support from schools and churches to optimize student character formation.