The passing of the mantle from the elder prophet Elijah to his successor Elisha is the description of a mentoring relationship.  In Scripture, those with wisdom continually share that wisdom, together with their own experiences, with novices.  Naomi schooled her widowed Moabite daughter-in-law in the intricacies of Jewish law so that Ruth could remarry and become part of the Messiah’s lineage (Ruth 3-4). Mordecai shrewdly steered Esther through the treachery of the Persian court to save the lives of God’s chosen people (Esth. 2-7).

In her older cousin Elizabeth, Mary had a miraculously expectant mentor to coach her during her first trimester of pregnancy (Luke 1:39-56).  The apostle Paul gave astute advice enabling Timothy and Titus to multiply his ministry; and in the Gospels, Jesus illuminated the way for the Twelve, the first of generations of disciples to follow the ultimate Mentor.

Women have a special admonition for mentoring.  The older woman in the church are challenged to teach or mentor the younger or less experienced woman (Titus 2:1-5).  This one-on-one process has also been called “spiritual mothering”.  Paul described the qualification for these mentors (v. 3) and set forth what they were to teach (vv. 4, 5). This is a positive and important ministry in the church for women.