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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran." Immediately at the outset he overthrows their conceit, and makes it appear by what he says, that the temple is nothing, that the customs are nothing either, without their suspecting his drift: also that they shall not overcome the preaching; and that from powerless things God evermore contrives Him powerful instruments. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
They themselves did not even consider that they were permitting themselves blasphemous actions, yet they accuse him of blasphemy for his words. Moses was always on their mind – they were not so much concerned with the works of God as with the ordinances of Moses. But Stephen at the very beginning of his speech refutes their opinion and proves that neither the temple nor the rites are of significance, and that they will not prevail against the preaching of the Gospel, that God makes what is difficult and impossible easy and possible. …
Oecumenius
In another way. See how he leads them away from bodily things, and meanwhile from place, attributing glory to God, not to place. For he himself is the source of glory, not in need of the glory which is by us through the temple. But when Scripture says that Terah was the father of Abraham and had gone out from Ur to set out from the land of the Chaldeans, how now does Stephen attribute this oracle to Abraham himself? …
Western Saints
Bede
Brothers and fathers, hear: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham. Because the blessed Stephen was accused of speaking blasphemy against Moses and God, at the very beginning of his speech he very vigilantly addressed their slander by saying that the same God who spoke to the fathers and prophets was the God of majesty and glory. Even when he reached the times of Moses in his speech, he praised him with fitting words, but proved that those people had always been rebellious and disobedient to his words. …
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