When Stephen reached this point, there was a tumult among the people. He saw the resistance that met his words, and knew that he was giving his last testimony. When he connected Christ with the prophecies, and spoke as he did of the temple, the priest, pretending to be horror-stricken, rent his robe. To Stephen, this act was a signal that his voice would soon be silenced forever. Although in the midst of his sermon, he abruptly concluded it. Suddenly breaking away from the train of history that he was following, he turned upon his infuriated judges, and said: "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it."

Da stefanus nåede til dette punkt, blev der tumult blandt folkene. Han så den modstand, som mødte hans ord og vidste, at dette ville blive hans sidste vidnesbyrd. Da han satte Kristus i forbindelse med profetierne og talte om templet, som han gjorde, sønderrev præsten i foregiven rædsel sine klæder Dette var for Stefanus et varsel om, at hans røst snart for stedse ville være bragt til tavshed! Skønt han kun var nået til midten af sin prædiken, brød han brat af. Pludseligt afbrød han den historie han fortalte, vendte han sig til sine rasende dommere, og sagde: ” I stivnakkede og uomskårne på hjerter og øren! Altid sætter I jer op imod Helligånden som jeres fædre, således I. Hvem af profeterne har jeres fædre ikke forfulgt? de dræbte dem, som forud forkyndte, at den Retfærdige skulle komme, og hans forrædere og mordere er I blevet. I modtog loven, formidlet ved engle, men I har ikke holdt den!”