In the past ten years the word "mentor" has replaced the biblical word "disciple."
The word "mentor" first became popular in the New Age business world. It was brought in via business gurus and the many leadership training workshops over the past 25 years. During the Promise Keeper era, "mentor" caught on like wildfire, leaving biblical vocabularly far behind. The biblical meaning of "disciple" has to do with teaching and instructing the Word of God. The word "mentor" means someone who is role modeling, or serving as a guide to proper behavior, attitudes, character, etc. Obviously "mentoring" de-emphasizes the Word of God.
What is a "mentor"? It is more accurate to ask, "Who is Mentor?" for it is a channeled demonic spirit and/or man named Mentor is whose name now replaces "disciple" in the neoevangelical lexicon:
"MENTOR, control of Stainton Moses, said to be Algazzali of Ghazali, Professor of Theology at Baghdad in the XI century, the greatest representative of the Arabian Philosophical School. His main duty was to manage the phenomena at the seances. He was very successful with lights and scents and brought many apports. In Book XVI there is a story of his carving heads on two shells in the dining room while dinner was going on; the sound of the process was heard." (Nandor Fodor, An Encyclopaedia of Psychic Science [The Citadel Press: 1966], p. 239)
A seance requires the use of a medium. Stainton Moses, referenced above, was "the charge [channeler, ed.] of an organized band of 49 spirits" who "asserted that a missionary effort to uplift the human race was being made in the spirit realms" and that "Moses was selected as the channel of these communications." (Ibid., p. 249). Ghazali (Mentor) is listed as one of his 49 channeled spirits.
A "control" means "state of possession of the medium by an invisible operator," also called a "guide." The term "implies enduring attendance by a distinct and continuous personality to use the entranced medium's body, to deliver direct or relayed messages. . . ," and is an entity that "steps in . . . to explain confusion. . ." (Ibid, p. 57).
Those who naively (or obstinately) believe that "mentor" is an innocent term that Christians can freely use as a substitute for "disciple" should think twice. Clearly the word "mentor" carries the occultic meaning of a spirit guide.
The Truth:
Seances, or attempting to communicate with the dead, are expressly forbidden in the Bible:
"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord:" (Deuteronomy 18:10-12a)
And, as believers, we should not seek an alternate "spirit" imparted by some man, even if he claims to possess great supernatural abilities -- "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (1 Corinthians 2:12)
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which he have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Corinthians 11:4)
For the reader's edification, here is an excerpt from John Gill's 18th century Commentary, on Matthew 28:19, specifically pertaining to what "disciple" means:
". . . 'disciple all nations': make them disciples by teaching them; or, as the Persic version, by way of explanation, adds, "bring them to my religion and faith": not that they were able to do this of themselves, but they were to teach men externally, or outwardly minister the word, whilst the Spirit of God internally applied it, and taught, and made men true disciples of Christ: and they are such, who have learned to know themselves, their sin, and lost estate by nature; to deny themselves, both sinful and righteous self; who have learnt to know Christ, and the way of righteousness, peace, pardon, life, and salvation by him; and who are taught and enabled to part with all for Christ, and to bear all for his sake, and to believe in him, and give up themselves to him, and follow him whithersoever he goes:" [http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/GillsExpositionoftheBible/gil.cgi?book=mt&chapter=028&verse=19
Stay tuned!