Paul and Barnabas react with intense disgust. In Jewish fashion they show their revulsion at this blasphemous false worship by tearing their clothes. They rush out into the crowd, insisting that the worship stop.

Paul's speech begins with an attack on idolatry. His initial question, Men, why are you doing this? assumes that there is common ground between his audience and himself—that they can join him in his negative evaluation of idolatrous practices. He points out the miracleworker is not worthy of worship, since he is a human being like they. He identifies idols as worthless things that his preaching has called them to turn from. Idols are worthless, empty, indeed deceitful, because they do not produce the effect they promise (compare Jer 2:5).

Paul next proclaims the one true living God, the Creator of all that is. He is the true source of the miraculously benevolent. Later Paul says the supply of rain that makes the ground fruitful, providing human beings with abundance of food and gladness of heart, is the ongoing witness that the living God, not Zeus and Hermes, exists. Such arguments occur throughout the Scriptures (Ps 147:8; 104:13-15; Jer 14:22; Mt 5:45). Paul also implies the moral consequences of not recognizing the living Creator as God. Paul's call to conversion and his explanation of God's permissive will in allowing all nations to go their own way assume human accountability. He is explaining why in every past generation God did not act in judgment as he did in Noah's generation.

Paul's speech models elements that must be included in any strategy of effective witness to adherents of a non-Christian religion. We must assume common ground with the person, our humanity. We are both made in the image of God with an ability to reason and evaluate experience. We must have a flexibility of approach in presenting the gospel. We must be familiar enough with the person's religious beliefs to know what they are substituting for the one true God and his ways. We must correct them, but just as important, we must figure out how the gospel is "good news" so we may tell them how to truly fulfill their religious aspirations. Finally, we must witness with urgency, making the person aware of the consequences. Since we are all accountable before God, our dialogue with non-Christians is not a simple exchange of religious opinions but a discussion of life-and-death issues.