Mark how far forth the holy champions of Christ did suffer. They give not back when their enemies do only set themselves against them; but when the sedition waxeth hot, and they be in danger of stoning, though they have many favorers of their doctrine, they go no further, but remembering the saying of Christ, wherein he warneth the faithful in patience to possess their souls, they avoid the fury of the enemy. And though they fly, lest they [1] throw themselves headlong into death, yet their constancy in preaching the gospel doth sufficiently declare that they feared not danger. For Luke saith that they preached the gospel in other places also. This is the right kind of fear, when the servants of Christ do not run willfully into the hands of their enemies, of them to be murdered, and yet they do not foreslow [abandon] their duty; neither doth fear hinder them from obeying God when he calleth; and so, consequently, they can afford, if need be, to go even through death itself to do their duty.

Footnotes

1 - "Temere," rashly, omitted.

An assault made - Greek: a "rush" - ὁρμή hormē. It denotes "an impetuous excitement and aggression; a rush to put them to death." It rather describes a popular tumult than a calm and deliberate purpose. There was a violent, tumultuous excitement.
Both of the Gentiles - Of that part of them which was opposed to the apostles.
To use them despitefully - See the notes on Matthew 5:44. To reproach them; to bring contempt upon them; to injure them.
And to stone them - To put them to death by stoning; probably as blasphemers, Acts 7:57-59.

An assault made - Ὁρμη, A desperate attempt was made by their rulers, i.e. by the heathen rulers of the people, and the rulers of the synagogue.
To use them despitefully - To expose them, bring them into contempt, and make them appear as monsters, or movers of sedition; and then to stone them for this falsely alleged crime.

And when there was an assault made,.... Or a strong bias and inclination were in the minds,
both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews, with their rulers; who encouraged them in it:
to use them despitefully, and to stone them; not only to give them reproachful language, but to smite, buffet, and scourge them, and to stone them for blasphemy, which was a punishment among the Jews for such causes.

an assault made . . . to stone them--rather here, "an impetuous movement" with a view to stoning them: for in 2-Corinthians 11:25, Paul says, "Once I was stoned," and that was at Lystra, as expressly related in Acts 14:19. (PALEY'S remarks--HorÃ&brvbr; PaulinÃ&brvbr;--on this singular coincidence between the Epistle and the history are very striking).
fled--(See Matthew 10:23).

There was an assault made. Hardly an assault, so much as a movement to make one. The Greek term implies a sudden movement. The attempt was avoided by the preachers receiving information and escaping from the city. In this effort there was concert of action between the Gentiles and Jews, the rulers of the synagogue joining, and the purpose was murderous. Paul (2-Corinthians 11:25) says, "Once was I stoned." That stoning was at Lystra. There was an attempt to stone at Iconium, but not a stone was thrown.
Fled to Lystra and Derbe. These were Lycaonian cities, not far from Iconium. Neither now exists, but the ruins of Lystra, and those of Derbe it is thought, are identical. The first is called by a name meaning "The Thousand and One Churches," on account of the ruins of so many sacred edifices. Lystra is named frequently in early church history as a center of Christian influence.