Lysias gladly improved this opportunity to get Paul off his hands. He was the object of so great animosity, and his presence created so widespread an excitement, that a riot might occur among the people at any time, with consequences dangerous to the commandant himself. The Jews as a people were in a state of excitement and irritation, and tumults were of frequent occurrence. A short time previous, a Roman knight of far higher rank than Lysias himself, had been violently taken and dragged by the maddened Jews around the walls of Jerusalem, and finally beheaded, because he received a bribe from the Samaritans. Upon the suspicion of similar crimes, other high officials had been imprisoned and disgraced. Should Paul be murdered, the chief captain might be charged with having been bribed to connive at his death. There was now sufficient reason to send him away secretly, and thus get rid of an embarrassing responsibility.{LP 227.2}

Lysias udnyttede denne anledning til at få Paulus ud af hans hænder. Han var genstand for så stor had, og hans tilstedeværelse skabte så vidtrækkende ophidselse, at optøjer kunne ske iblandt folket på et hvilket som helst tidspunkt, som kunne blive farligt for kommandanten selv. Som et folk var jøderne i anspændt og irriteret, og der var ofte tumult. For kort tid siden, blev en romersk ridder, af lang højere rang end Lysias selv, taget voldsomt af jøderne og slæbt af ophidsede jøder omkring Jerusalems mure, og til sidst halshugget, fordi han havde fået bestikkelse fra samaritanerne. Under mistanke af lignende forbrydelser, blev andre høje embedsmænd fængslet og taget i unåde. Blev Paulus slået ihjel, kunne den øverstkommanderende ankages for at være bestukket til at medvirke til hans død. Nu var der grundlag nok til at sende ham bort i det skjulte, og derved blive af med det pinlige ansvar.