The tumult at the theater was continually increasing. “Some cried one thing, and some another; and the more part knew not wherefore they had come together.” From the fact that Paul and some of his companions were of Hebrew extraction, the Jews felt that odium was cast upon them, and that their own safety might be endangered. Wishing it to be understood that they had no sympathy with the Christians, they thrust forward one of their own number to set the matter before the people. The speaker chosen was Alexander, one of the craftsmen, a coppersmith, to whom Paul afterward referred as having done him much evil. Alexander was a man of considerable ability, and he bent all his energies to direct the wrath of the people exclusively against Paul and his companions. But the crowd were in no mood to make nice distinctions. Seeing that Alexander was a Jew, they thrust him aside, the uproar continually increasing as all with one voice cried out, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” This cry continued for two hours. {LP 144.2}

Tumulten på teateret tog stadig til. "Der skreg nogle et, andre noget andet; . . . og de fleste vidste ikke, hvorfor de var kommet sammen." Ud fra det faktum at Paulus og nogle af hans ledsagere var af hebræisk hærkomst, følte jøderne at det var dem der blev lagt for had, og at deres egen sikkerhed måtte være i fare. Da de var ivrige efter at man skulle vide de ikke havde sympati med de kristne, lagde de selv sagen frem for folk. Den valgte taler var Alexander, en af håndværkerne, en kobbersmed, som Paulus senere henviste til som havde gjort han meget ondt. Alexander var en meget dygtig mand, og han brugte al energi på at udelukkende rette folks vrede på Paulus og hans ledsagere. Men folkemængden var ikke i humør til at gøre forskel. Da de så at Alexander var en jøde, kastede de ham til side, tumulten blev stadig større idet alle råbte med én stemme: "Stor er Efesernes Diana!" Dette råb fortsatte i to timer.