The following article was written in 1988. It makes points in a more straightforward way than I did. Below is a quoted section:
Before returning to the Father He commanded His followers: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:15,16). In the wording of Matthew 28:19,20 they were told: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”
It has been argued that since ‘make disciples’ (second person plural aorist imperative active) is the main verb of the sentence and ‘going,’ ‘baptizing’ and ‘teaching’ are participles, discipling includes both baptizing and teaching to observe all things.
Whom are we to disciple? All the nations. Nations (accusative) is the direct object of the verb ‘disciple.’ If ‘disciple’ as a verb means what advocates of authoritarian discipleship claim, is it possible to disciple a nation? Of course not. In most versions this verb is correctly translated ‘to make disciples of.’ Then it makes sense. ‘Make disciples of all the nations.’ That is possible.
Whom are we to baptize and teach to observe all things? Is it possible to baptize a nation? Greek pronouns usually agree in gender with their antecedent. ‘Nations’ is neuter; ‘them’ in verses 19 and 20 is masculine. It is to be understood — as is stated in Mark — that only those who believe are to be baptized. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). And whom are you going to teach to observe all things? One who doesn’t believe? One who refuses to be baptized? Or one who has believed, has been baptized, and has been made a disciple? You are not going to make much progress teaching someone to observe all things until AFTER he has become a disciple!
Disciples ARE to be taught to observe all that their Master has commanded. They ARE to grow to maturity in Christ. But this is not called ‘discipling’ in the New Testament. And the above passages certainly say nothing about becoming the disciple of someone OTHER THAN CHRIST.
The way to make disciples is to preach the gospel. “When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples” (Acts 14:21,22). A subordinate relationship with some other disciple is not required in ‘making disciples’ or ‘discipling’ (the verb form is used in this passage).
Wish I had found this a month ago, it would have been simpler to provide a link. I found this today and I was struck that both of us used the example of early Methodism. How seredipitous is that?