For many, the word "mentoring" conjures images of formal classrooms, executive coaching, or intense theological seminars. However, biblical mentoring is far simpler. It is a relationship where one growing Christian encourages and equips another growing Christian. As C.S. Lewis famously suggested, a mentor is merely a "fellow patient" in the same hospital who arrived a little earlier and can offer advice based on their own progress toward healing.
The Command: More Than Just Going
The foundational mandate for this work is found in Jesus’s words in Matthew 28:19-20, the Great Commission.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
While many focus on the word "go," the primary command is actually to "make disciples". The activities of going, baptizing, and teaching are the methods used to fulfill that central imperative.
Jesus was not interested in education for its own sake. Instead, He was concerned with a way of life—teaching followers to live out His commands in a manner pleasing to God. This requires a move beyond sterile legalism to a lifestyle that reflects the spirit of the law and the purity of Christ.
The Jesus Method: The Power of the Small Group
To achieve the greatest kingdom impact, Jesus utilized a specific strategy: more time with fewer people. While thousands listened to His teaching and hundreds followed Him, Jesus focused His primary energy on twelve men for three years.
This small-group focus was not exclusive but strategic. By investing deeply in a small number of people, Jesus created a multiplier effect. If one person affects eight people, and those eight each affect eight more, the process can reach over one million followers in just five generations. Jesus modeled this by getting up close and personal with a few to eventually reach the world.
Generational Transfer: The Titus 2 Model
The New Testament demonstrates that the early church took this model of personal investment to heart. Paul’s instructions to Titus explicitly command a generational transfer of wisdom:
- Older men are to be examples of self-control and wisdom.
- Older women are tasked with training younger women to love their families and live purely.
- Younger men are encouraged to live wisely, guided by the integrity and good works of their mentors.
This is organic mentoring—a relationship with a purpose that occurs as believers do life together. It is the effective transfer of truth from one generation to the next, recognizing that godly leadership is often caught, not taught.
The Completed Work: Mentoring as the Mission
One of the most striking aspects of Jesus’s ministry is found in His prayer in John 17. Before He ever went to the cross, Jesus says, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” This work was the revelation of God to His disciples and the passing on of the message He had received.
By the time of His arrest, the disciples were ready; they only needed the Holy Spirit to begin their own work of making disciples. If Jesus had died for sins but failed to make disciples who could deliver that message, the Good News would never have reached us.
The Secret Sauce: No Masks Allowed
Stepping into the Master’s model requires authenticity. While working with people is often messy, the joy of watching someone succeed and grow into the image of Christ is exhilarating. By following Jesus’s lead—investing deeply in a few and living out the Truth transparently—we participate in a mission that changes not just individuals, but future generations.
Adapted from an article by Carrie Daws, originally published by Manna Church.