offers no solution except the patient and persistent preaching of the gospel in hope that the situation will change. The narrator expects the mission to move forward, especially among the Gentiles, but the ending of Acts is far from glib optimism. Paul continues his preaching but only after highlighting Jewish blindness and deafness. The circumstances of his mission must also be considered. He is still a prisoner, unable to circulate freely,24 and his life is still in jeopardy. That Paul is able