The Seven Woes: Christ's Indictment of False Religion and the Call to True Religion

Book Description

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites..."

With these biting words, Jesus exposed the spiritual rot hidden beneath the surface of the scribes and Pharisees' outward religiosity. In The Seven Woes, Steven R. Martins, director of the Cántaro Institute, offers a bold and sobering exposition of Matthew 23—Christ's final public sermon before the cross-to confront the timeless dangers of hypocrisy, legalism, and spiritual pride.

With pastoral insight and theological clarity, Martins reveals how Christ's words were not only directed at first-century Pharisees but also ring true in our own pews and pulpits. Through these woes, we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, calling His people away from dead religion and into sincere, Spirit-filled obedience.

Convicting yet hopeful, The Seven Woes reminds us that true religion is not found in empty performance but in hearts transformed by the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.

Author

Steven R. Martins is the founding director of the Cantaro Institute and the founding pastor of Sevilla Chapel in St. Catharines. He holds a Master's degree summa cum laude in Theological Studies with a focus on Christian apologetics from Veritas International University (Santa Ana, CA, USA), and a Bachelor of Human Resource Management from York University (Toronto, ON, Canada). He is the General Editor of La Fuente: Iberoamerican Journal for Christian Worldview and has authored or coedited numerous books, including Bite-Sized Wisdom: Christian Philosophy, Apologetics, Lecturers on Reformation & Culture, and Canada: The Introduction of Christianity in Early Canada. He has translated several sixteenth-century works of the Spanish Protestant reformers and has contributed articles to various journals and periodicals. Steven is married to Cindy, and they live in the Niagara region with their children Matthias, Timothy, Nehemias, and Raquel.

Additional Information

Cover: Paperback
Number of Pages: 122
Publisher: Cantaro Publications
Publication Date: 2026