12. The fall of the Jewish people made the world spiritually rich. Their failure made people who are not Jewish spiritually rich. So the inclusion of Jewish people will make the world even richer.
13. Now, I speak to you who are not Jewish. As long as I am an apostle sent to people who are not Jewish, I bring honor to my ministry.
14. Perhaps I can make my people jealous and save some of them.
15. If Israel’s rejection means that the world has been brought back to God, what does Israel’s acceptance mean? It means that Israel has come back to life.
16. If the first handful of dough is holy, the whole batch of dough is holy. If the root is holy, the branches are holy.
17. But some of the olive branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive branch, have been grafted in their place. You get your nourishment from the roots of the olive tree.
18. So don’t brag about being better than the other branches. If you brag, remember that you don’t support the root, the root supports you.
19. “Well,” you say, “Branches were cut off so that I could be grafted onto the tree.”
20. That’s right! They were broken off because they didn’t believe, but you remain on the tree because you do believe. Don’t feel arrogant, but be afraid.
21. If God didn’t spare the natural branches, he won’t spare you, either.
22. Look at how kind and how severe God can be. He is severe to those who fell, but kind to you if you continue to hold on to his kindness. Otherwise, you, too, will be cut off ⌊from the tree⌋.
23. If Jewish people do not continue in their unbelief, they will be grafted onto the tree again, because God is able to do that.