By recording the substance of what Paul and Barnabas said here, Luke preserved a sample of their preaching to pagan audiences (cf. Acts 13:16-41; Acts 17:22-31). [source][source][source]
"With a pagan audience it was necessary to begin a stage further back with the proclamation of the one true God." [1][source]
In earlier times God had manifested the knowledge of Himself to Gentiles mainly through creation and Israel (cf. Romans 1). Now He was giving them more special revelation through the church. This was the first time Luke recorded the preaching of the gospel to a group that was predominantly, if not exclusively, Gentile. Thus this incident became another benchmark of worldwide gospel extension. [source][source][source]
Timothy was apparently a native of Lystra (cf. Acts 16:1-2; Acts 20:4; 2 Timothy 1:5). He apparently had a Jewish mother and grandmother (cf. Acts 16:3; 2 Timothy 1:5). This may indicate that there were some Jews who lived there. [source][source][source]
"Paul"s speech here, apart from his address to the Athenian philosophers ( Acts 17:22 ff.), is the only example in Acts of his technique in dealing with a purely pagan audience; it is a striking example of his ability to reinterpret the Gospel in terms intelligible to his hearers. It differs widely from his approach to Jews and adherents of Judaism, as illustrated by his sermon in the synagogue at Antioch ( Acts 13:16 ff.), where some knowledge of the scriptures could be assumed on the part of his listeners. Here, as at Athens, he proceeds on the basis of natural Revelation -the providential order of the universe-which ought to lead men"s thoughts from the cult of idols to the worship of a living God, Creator of all that exists; he expounds this line of argument more fully in Romans 1:19 ff; Romans 2:14 f, and he writes of its successful outcome at Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 1:9)." [2][source]