Romans 3:27-28
Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The key insight here is that the "law of faith" isn't just a different set of rules; it's a complete reversal of how we approach God. Instead of earning our way through works, this new "law" strips away all grounds for personal pride, demanding humble reliance on God's grace through faith. This isn't a minor tweak; it's a radical redesign that excludes boasting entirely by emphasizing our dependence, not our achievement.
Paul has just argued that everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, falls short of God's glory and is justified freely by His grace through redemption in Christ. This radical idea demolishes any grounds for human pride or boasting, whether it comes from religious privilege or personal achievement. So, Paul asks, where does this leave our boasting? It's completely excluded, not by a system based on our actions, but by the very principle of God's saving plan—a plan centered entirely on faith.
Ever felt the urge to brag about your achievements, your intelligence, or even your spiritual successes? Paul confronts this head-on.
Paul asks a powerful question: "Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded." This isn't just about pride; it's about any claim to earning our standing with God.
But Paul declares that all of this is shut out. Why? Because justification—being made right with God—isn't something we achieve; it's a gift we receive.
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Paul uses the word 'law' in two distinct ways here. Understanding this is key to grasping how we're made right with God.
Paul contrasts two different 'laws' or systems:
The Law of Works:
The Law of Faith:
Understand the original words
kauchēsis · Greek Noun
Exultation or self-congratulatory pride based on one's own achievements or adherence to the law. In the context of salvation, it refers to human efforts to earn favor with God, which Scripture declares is excluded.
nomos · Greek Noun
A system, principle, or rule of operation. In this context, it refers to the 'principle' of how God relates to humanity, distinguishing between the system based on human effort (works) and the system based on response to God (faith).
ergōn · Greek Noun
Human actions, deeds, or religious observances performed in an attempt to gain merit, standing, or salvation before God. These are strictly contrasted with the free gift of grace received through faith.
This passage directly echoes Romans 3:27 by stating that true righteousness comes through faith in Christ, not from one's own adherence to the law, thus excluding any basis for boasting in self-accomplishments.
Ephesians 2:8-9It reinforces the concept that salvation is a gift received by grace through faith, explicitly stating that it is not from works, which aligns perfectly with Paul's argument that boasting is excluded because justification comes through faith, not works of the law.
Galatians 2:16This verse functions as a parallel argument to Romans 3:27, declaring that no one is justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, and that believers themselves believe in Christ to be justified, cutting off all boasting.
Luke 18:9-14The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector powerfully illustrates the exclusion of boasting. The self-righteous boasting of the Pharisee is contrasted with the humble faith of the tax collector, showing that true acceptance with God comes from recognizing one's need and relying on God's mercy, not from perceived merits.
ellicottRomans 3:27: "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."
(27-31) A review of the consequences of this process of justification. How does it affect the pretensions of the Jew? It shuts them out by laying stress no longer on works, which were the proper fulfilment of the first law as it stood, but upon faith. Faith is the true medium of justification. And faith belongs as much to Gentile as to Jew. For faith is the appointed means by which all ma…
bensonRomans 3:27: "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."
Romans 3:27 . Where is boasting then? — The boasting of the Gentiles in their philosophy, or of the Jews in the rites of the law of Moses, as sufficient for their salvation. Or the boasting of the Jews against the Gentiles, or that of any one in his own righteousness, or on account of any peculiar privileges he may enjoy. It is excluded — This way of justification by free grace, through f…
The key insight here is that the "law of faith" isn't just a different set of rules; it's a complete reversal of how we approach God. Instead of earning our way through works, this new "law" strips away all grounds for personal pride, demanding humble reliance on God's grace through faith. This isn't a minor tweak; it's a radical redesign that excludes boasting entirely by emphasizing our dependence, not our achievement.
Paul has just argued that everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, falls short of God's glory and is justified freely by His grace through redemption in Christ. This radical idea demolishes any grounds for human pride or boasting, whether it comes from religious privilege or personal achievement. So, Paul asks, where does this leave our boasting? It's completely excluded, not by a system based on our actions, but by the very principle of God's saving plan—a plan centered entirely on faith.
Paul has just argued that everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, falls short of God's glory and is justified freely by His grace through redemption in Christ. This radical idea demolishes any grounds for human pride or boasting, whether it comes from religious privilege or personal achievement. So, Paul asks, where does this leave our boasting? It's completely excluded, not by a system based on our actions, but by the very principle of God's saving plan—a plan centered entirely on faith.
"Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." — The key insight here is that the "law of faith" isn't just a different set of rules; it's a complete reversal of how we approach God. Instead of earning our way through works, this new "law" strips a…
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