He met the people on their own ground, and showed that there was no cause for the present tumult. He appealed to their reason to decide whether the strangers who had come among them could change the opinions of the whole world regarding their ruling goddess. Said he: “Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of Ephesus is a worshiper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.” He bade them consider that Paul and his companions had not profaned the temple of Diana, nor outraged the feelings of any by reviling the goddess.{LP 145.2}

Han mødte folk på deres eget sted, og viste dem at der ikke var grund til tumult lige nu. Han appellerede til deres fornuft at beslutte om de fremmede som var iblandt dem, ville ændre deres meninger om hele verden, med hensyn til deres gældende guder. Han sagde: “»Mænd i Efesus! Hvor er det menneske, som ikke ved, at efesernes by er tempelværge for den store Artemis og hendes himmelfaldne billede? Når altså dette er uimodsigeligt, bør I forholde jer rolige og ikke foretage jer noget overilet." Han bad dem overveje om Paulus og hans ledsagerede ikke havde vanhelliget Dianas tempel, eller forsyndet sig imod nogens følelser ved at forhåne guddommen.