Hitherto the people had listened with close attention, but when Paul reached the point in his history where he was appointed Christ's ambassador to the Gentiles, their fury broke forth anew. Accustomed to look upon themselves as the only people favored by God, they were unwilling to 410 permit the despised Gentiles to share the privileges which had hitherto been regarded as exclusively their own. Lifting their voices above the voice of the speaker, they cried, "Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live."

Hidtil havde folket lyttet med spændt opmærksomhed, men da Paulus var nået til dette punkt i sin fortælling, hvor han blev udvalgt til at være Kristi udsending til hedningerne, brød deres raseri atter løs. De var jo vant til at betragte sig selv som det eneste folk, der havde Guds velbehag og de var ikke til sinds at lade de foragtede hedninger få del i de rettigheder, som de hidtil havde anset for udelukkende at tilhøre dem selv. De opløftede deres røst for at overdøve den talende og råbte: "Bort fra jorden med en sådan! han skulle ikke have lov at leve!"