John Calvin Commentary Acts 14:5

"And when there was made an onset both of the Gentiles and of the Jews with their rulers, to treat them shamefully and to stone them," — Acts 14:5 (ASV)

Observe to what extent the holy champions of Christ suffered. They do not retreat when their enemies merely set themselves against them; but when the uprising grows intense, and they are in danger of stoning, though they have many supporters of their doctrine, they proceed no further, but remembering the saying of Christ, in which He warns the faithful in patience to possess their souls, they avoid the rage of the enemy.

And though they flee, so that they do not throw themselves headlong into death, yet their constancy in preaching the gospel sufficiently declares that they did not fear danger. For Luke says that they preached the gospel in other places also. This is the right kind of fear, when the servants of Christ do not willfully run into the hands of their enemies to be murdered by them, and yet they do not abandon their duty. Neither does fear hinder them from obeying God when He calls; and so, consequently, they are prepared, if need be, to go even through death itself to do their duty.