True, the words of the apostle Paul at 1 Corinthians 10:31 apply to the “great crowd” as well as to the remnant of the 144,000 spiritual Israelites, namely: “Therefore, whether you are eating or drinking or doing anything else, do all things for God’s glory.”

12. Because of our different viewpoint and because we do these common things under the name of Christian witnesses of Jehovah, does this of itself make these things “sacred service,” or not?

¹² By those words does the apostle Paul mean that all things that we now do as Christians become “sacred service” (lat·reiʹa) because of our having a different viewpoint respecting these things? Why should that be the case? When we eat, drink and sleep and do things that all other humans are obliged to do to live, whom are we really serving? Ourselves, naturally. Yes, when we now do those things, we have God’s glory in mind. Hence, we do not overeat to the point of sickness or gluttony; we do not drink alcoholic beverages to the point of drunkenness; we do not regularly sleep too much to the point of laziness or slothfulness. Yet now when we eat, drink, sleep under the religious name of Christian witnesses of Jehovah, the same as all other humans do under their religious names, does this of itself transform these basic, essential acts of human living into “sacred service”? No; why should it?

14. Why is it advisable to do the things stated at Romans 13:1-7, and in doing so do we differ from all other law-abiding citizens of the land?

¹⁴ On the other hand, when all Christian witnesses of Jehovah do what the apostle Paul instructs them to do in Romans 13:1-7, they are doing only what is required of all other citizens or alien residents of a country. Properly we do so as good and orderly persons, and this keeps us from getting into trouble with the “superior authorities.” We also do so with a higher motivation, that is, to keep a good conscience and an appreciation of what is right and fitting. But our now acting in this way under the name of Christian witnesses of Jehovah does not automatically change our proper conduct into the Scriptural “sacred service.” All other law-abiding citizens do the same things, even without the same motivations that we have.