John Calvin Commentary Acts 11:20

"But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus." — Acts 11:20 (ASV)

Luke declares at length that certain of them brought this treasure even to the Gentiles. And Luke calls these Grecians not Ελληνες, but Ελληνισται. Therefore, some say that those were of Jewish origin, yet they inhabited Greece; which I do not accept. For since the Jews, whom he mentioned a little earlier, were partly from Cyprus, they must necessarily be counted in that number, because the Jews consider Cyprus a part of Greece.

But Luke distinguishes them from those whom he later calls Ελληνιστας. Furthermore, since he had said that the word was preached at first only to the Jews (and he meant those who, having been banished from their own country, lived in Cyprus and Phoenicia), as if correcting this exception, he says that some of them taught the Grecians.

This contradiction causes me to interpret it as referring to the Gentiles. For Luke's meaning is that a few preached the gospel more freely because the calling of the Gentiles was not unknown to them.

But the constancy of them all deserves great praise because, having been delivered, as it were, from the midst of death, they are not afraid to do their duty toward God even when facing danger.

From this we gather for what purpose, and to what extent, Christians may flee persecution: namely, that they may spend the remainder of their lives spreading abroad the glory of God.

If anyone asks how it happened that strangers who had recently arrived—and who might have been suspected by all the Jews and hated by them because they had been banished from Jerusalem—were so bold, I answer that this happened through the unique prompting of God, and that they acted suddenly as the opportunity was presented to them. For this resolve is not of flesh and blood.