GOOD MENTORING- What a fine passage speak about Christian role-modeling. Paul says to his listeners, "join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us" (v. 17). No conceit or self-inflatedness, but simply a confidence that we can be mentors and role models to others as we endeavor to model our lives after Christ. This is not the first time that Paul has raised this theme. In 1st Corinthians 11:1, Paul says: "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."

LESS-THAN-STELLAR-MENTORING - Not all mentors and role models are helpful to spiritual growth and development. That’s what Paul now raises in verses 18-19. He calls such "enemies of the cross of Christ." I’m not sure, nor are the commentators of the specific group that Paul here refers to, but a safe guess would be the "Judaizers." Such a group would have included in their number Christians who continued to use the Law to make them "righteous" or perhaps to fulfill the righteousness that they had in Christ.

CITIZENSHIP - It’s interesting to note Paul’s use of the word, "citizenship," politeuma. "But our citizenship is in heaven," he says, "and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Such a concept would have been especially meaningful to a Philippian citizen. Their city-Philippi-was a Roman colony way out on the frontier. Yet they held citizenship in the far off city of Rome also. I wonder if perhaps the indigenous people inhabiting Philippi were quite proud of their Rome connections? Similarly, Christians were to envision a citizenship in the new land where Christ reigned. Paul here speaks of the transformation of humanity and perhaps the restoration of the world.

Who would come closest to being a mentor to you-one who proved to be a trusted counselor or guide?

Whom have you tutored in the faith? Who might now benefit from your counsel and guidance in the Christian journey?

You may want to share a story, testimony, or example of the importance of mentoring-negatively or positively-in your life-experience. There are some great books on the market currently that has taken mentoring and role modeling quite seriously (Amazon / Barnes & Noble, etc).

I would follow Paul’s general trajectory of good mentoring vis-à-vis bad mentoring and draw from my own and others’ experiences to move us to a place of openness to either seeking mentoring or envisioning ourselves as growing into faithful mentors.