John Calvin Commentary Acts 5:20

"Go ye, and stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this Life." — Acts 5:20 (ASV)

Speak in the temple. This is the purpose of their deliverance: that they engage themselves bravely in preaching the gospel and challenge their enemies boldly, until they die valiantly. For they were eventually put to death when the hand of God ceased, after they had finished their course; but now the Lord opens the prison for them, so that they may be free to carry out their function.

This is worth noting, because we see many people who, after they have escaped from persecution, afterwards keep silent, as if they had done their duty towards God (and were no longer to be troubled); some others also escape by denying Christ. But the Lord delivers His children, not so that they may cease from the course they have begun, but rather that they may be more zealous afterwards.

The apostles might have objected, "It is better to keep silent for a time, since we cannot speak one word without danger. We are now apprehended for only one sermon; how much more will the fury of our enemies be inflamed in the future if they see us make no end of speaking?"

But because they knew that they were to live and to die to the Lord, they did not refuse to do what the Lord commanded. So we must always note what function the Lord enjoins on us. We will often encounter many things that may discourage us, unless, being content with the commandment of God alone, we do our duty, committing the outcome to Him.

The words of this life. This is a unique commendation of the gospel: that it is a living doctrine, bringing salvation to people. For the righteousness of God is revealed to us in it (Romans 1:17), and in it Christ offers Himself to us with the sacrifice of His death, with the Spirit of regeneration, with the earnest of our adoption.

And this is spoken specifically to the apostles, so that they may more courageously enter all kinds of conflicts for the gospel, since they hear that they are ministers of eternal salvation. The demonstrative "this" is added for greater certainty, as if the angel pointed out life with his finger, as surely we do not need to seek it far when we have the word in our mouth and in our heart; unless perhaps someone would rather interpret the phrase "the words of this life" by hypallage, the words of this life, to mean "these words of life"—an interpretation which I do not reject, yet that former sense seems better to me, for it was a new revelation of Christ in which they had life present.