In the midst of the tumult the apostle was calm and self-possessed. His mind was stayed upon God, and he knew that angels of heaven were about him. He felt unwilling to leave the temple without making an effort to set the truth before his countrymen. As he was about to be led into the castle he said to the chief captain, "May I speak unto thee?" Lysias responded, "Canst thou speak Greek? Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?" In reply Paul said, "I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people."

Midt i al denne larm var apostlen rolig og behersket. Han stolede på Gud og har vidste, at Himmelens engle var hos ham. Han ville nødig forlade templet uden først at forelægge sine landsmænd sandheden. Da man var ved at føre ham ind i borgen, sagde han til kommandanten: "Er det mig tilladt at sige noget til dig?" Lysias svarede: "Kan du græsk? Er du da ikke den ægypter, som for nogen tid siden gjorde oprør og førte de fire tusinde knivstikkere ud i ørkenen?" Paulus svarede: "Nej, jeg er en jødisk mand fra Tarsus, borger i en ikke ukendt by i Kilikien. Jeg beder dig, tillad mig at tale til folket!"