After making disciples ...
The bible says make disciples. Then the bible tells you how to do it. Baptise and teach. Baptise comes first. By your method of proof texting argument that must mean first baptise and then later teach. That's what paedobaptists do; first baptise the baby and later teach obedience to Christ. Simple. Just remember the formula that Jesus gave. Matthew 28:19-20 Go then, and make disciples of all the nations, giving them baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: [20] Teaching them to keep all the rules which I have given you: and see, I am ever with you, even to the end of the world.
Simple. None of that weird word acrobatics that Credobaptists have to perform. Just read the passages and believe them. As it should be.
John 3:5 Jesus said in answer, Truly, I say to you, If a man's birth is not from water and from the Spirit, it is not possible for him to go into the kingdom of God.
Romans 6:3-9 Or are you without the knowledge that all we who had baptism into Christ Jesus, had baptism into his death? [4] We have been placed with him among the dead through baptism into death: so that as Christ came again from the dead by the glory of the Father, we, in the same way, might be living in new life. [5] For, if we have been made like him in his death, we will, in the same way, be like him in his coming to life again; [6] Being conscious that our old man was put to death on the cross with him, so that the body of sin might be put away, and we might no longer be servants to sin. [7] Because he who is dead is free from sin. [8] But if we are dead with Christ, we have faith that we will be living with him; [9] Having knowledge that because Christ has come back from the dead, he will never again go down to the dead; death has no more power over him.
Titus 3:4-7 But when the mercy of God our Saviour, and his love to man was seen, [5] Not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but in the measure of his mercy, he gave us salvation, through the washing of the new birth and the giving of new life in the Holy Spirit, [6] Which he gave us freely through Jesus Christ our Saviour; [7] So that, having been given righteousness through grace, we might have a part in the heritage, the hope of eternal life.
1 Peter 3:18-22 Because Christ once went through pain for sins, the upright one taking the place of sinners, so that through him we might come back to God; being put to death in the flesh, but given life in the Spirit; [19] By whom he went to the spirits in prison, preaching to those [20] Who, in the days of Noah, went against God's orders; but God in his mercy kept back the punishment, while Noah got ready the ark, in which a small number, that is to say eight persons, got salvation through water: [21] And baptism, of which this is an image, now gives you salvation, not by washing clean the flesh, but by making you free from the sense of sin before God, through the coming again of Jesus Christ from the dead; [22] Who has gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been put under his rule.
Baptism saves, it unites to Jesus Christ, it is one's death and resurrection in Christ, it enables one to enter the kingdom of God, it washes away one's sins. Simple enough for children to understand.
I've used these passages many times to discuss baptism with Jehovah's witnesses and always surprise them with what the bible really says about baptism and how important the bible says it is. Several that I have talked to have subsequently become Christians abandoning the errors of the Kingdom Hall and eventually finding the Church. God is good when the gospel is preached.
