Romans 3:27 · Bible study
Romans 3:27 Commentary: The Law That Shuts Out Boasting
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
An analysis of Paul's argument that boasting is excluded not by the law of works but by the law of faith, the gospel principle of receiving all from God.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul declares that human pride in religious achievement is excluded not by a system of merit but by a principle of faith, which receives salvation as a gift.
- Key words: Boasting (καύχησις), excluded (ἐξεκλείσθη, aorist passive 'shut out'), law/principle (νόμος), works (ἔργων), faith (πίστεως).
- Main debate: Whether 'law of faith' is a new legal code or a flexible term for 'principle' or 'doctrine', most commentators favor the latter.
- Theological theme: Justification by grace through faith alone eliminates human boasting and magnifies God's mercy.
- Best use: A concise, memorable text for teaching the radical difference between earning and receiving salvation.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
KJV King James Version 1769
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Where then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner of law? of works? Nay: but by a law of faith.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Where then is the boasting? it was excluded; by what law? of works? no, but by a law of faith:
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Where then [is] boasting? It has been excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by law of faith;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Where is then thy boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Dónde pues está la jactancia? Es excluída. ¿ Por cuál ley? ¿ de las obras? No; mas por la ley de la fe.
Onde, pois, está o orgulho? Este é excluído. Por qual lei? A das obras? Não, mas sim, pela Lei da fé.
Où donc est le sujet de se glorifier? Il est exclu. Par quelle loi? Par la loi des œuvres? Non, mais par la loi de la foi.
Wo bleibt nun der Ruhm? Er ist ausgeschlossen. Durch das Gesetz? Durch der Werke Gesetz? Nicht also, sondern durch des Glaubens Gesetz.
Waar is dan de roem? Hij is uitgesloten. Door wat wet? Der werken? Neen, maar door de wet des geloofs.
Dov’è dunque il vanto? Esso è escluso. Per quale legge? Delle opere? No, ma per la legge della fede;
Gdzież tedy jest chluba? Odrzucona jest. Przez któryż zakon? Czyli uczynków? Nie, ale przez zakon wiary.
Где же то, чем бы хвалиться? уничтожено. Каким законом? законом дел? Нет, но законом веры.
既是這樣，哪裡 能誇口呢？沒有可誇的了。用 何 法沒有的呢？是用立功之法嗎？不是， 乃用 信 主之法。
What reason, then, is there for pride? It is shut out. By what sort of law? of works? No, but by a law of faith.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Romans 3:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse caps Paul's argument that human pride has no place in salvation. The 'boasting' (ἡ καύχησις) is the Jew's confidence in ethnic privilege and obedience to the law (Barnes, Cambridge, Wesley). The verb ἐξεκλείσθη ('it has been excluded') is aorist passive, a definitive shutting out, as Clarke says, 'the door of heaven is shut against every thing of this kind.' The key question 'By what kind of law?' uses νόμος in an elastic sense: not the Mosaic code but a 'rule' or 'principle' (Cambridge, Barnes). 'Works' would allow boasting because a person could claim credit. 'Faith' excludes it because, as Calvin argues, 'faith receives all from God, and brings nothing except an humble confession of want.' The 'law of faith' is the divine arrangement that justification comes only through trust in Christ, leaving no room for human merit. Gill calls it the 'doctrine of a sinner's justification by faith in the righteousness of Christ.'
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Paul is excluding all human pride in salvation by setting faith (receiving) against works (earning) as the operative principle.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'law' in 'law of faith' | All traditions see νόμος here as a flexible term: not the Mosaic code but a rule, principle, or divine arrangement. | Some understand it as a new 'rule of procedure' (Cambridge); others as the gospel 'doctrine' (Gill, Poole). The difference is rhetorical, not doctrinal. |
| Identity of the boasting | The boasting is primarily Jewish, grounded in ancestral privileges and law-keeping. | Some commentators (Gill, Wesley) extend it to all human self-confidence before God, including Gentile wisdom or virtue. |
| How the law of faith excludes boasting | Works-based systems allow pride because they suggest human achievement; faith excludes it because it receives grace empty-handed. | Calvin emphasizes the total annihilation of merit; Clarke and Wesley add that the cross itself shuts the door on any claim. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes to a Roman church made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers, a congregation already feeling tensions over identity and privilege. In chapters 1, 3 he has systematically shown that everyone, Jew and Gentile, is under sin. No one is righteous by their own effort; all fall short of God's glory (3:23). The law itself, given to Israel, was never intended to be a ladder to salvation; it exposes sin and silences every mouth (3:19).
Jewish listeners would have grown up hearing that the law and circumcision set them apart as God's chosen people. Many concluded that this special status gave them a claim on God's favor, a kind of boasting in their heritage. Paul dismantles that assumption. Righteousness comes apart from the law, through faith in Jesus Christ, for everyone who believes, without distinction (3:21, 22).
The 'law of works' represents the premise that keeping commandments earns God's approval. By that premise, the one who obeys could boast. But Paul insists that no one has kept the law; instead it condemns. So boasting is excluded not by the law itself but by the 'law of faith', the gospel principle that righteousness is a gift received trustingly. This echoes the Old Testament prophets: Ezekiel promises a new covenant where shame silences Israel (Ezekiel 16:62, 63), and Zephaniah predicts a day when 'the proudly exulting ones' are removed (Zephaniah 3:11). Paul sees the gospel as the arrival of that promised humility.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Romans 3:27. The Greek text is stable across major manuscript families, with only minor differences in punctuation (none affecting interpretation).
Reception History
Romans 3:27 has been a cornerstone of Reformation preaching. Luther built his 'theology of the cross' on the principle that boasting is excluded; Calvin called it Paul's 'triumph over folly.' In Methodist and Wesleyan traditions, the verse was used to argue that both the start and the continuation of salvation are by grace through faith. More recently, the verse has been cited in ecumenical dialogues to show that the New Testament excludes not only Jewish pride but every form of religious self-reliance. The contrast between 'law of works' and 'law of faith' remains a standard shorthand for the heart of the gospel: salvation is a gift, not a wage.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Boasting is natural to fallen hearts. The Jewish believers prided themselves on the law, circumcision, and ancestry. We still do this, trusting in background, morality, or religious performance.
- Boasting is excluded by a change of principle. The 'law of works' would have left room for pride because it suggests I can earn approval. The 'law of faith' shuts that door: everything comes as a gift.
- Faith itself is the antithesis of boasting. Faith holds out empty hands. It confesses need and receives mercy. That posture leaves no room for self-congratulation, only gratitude.
Five-point outline
- Where?, The location of boasting before the gospel. In ethnic identity, obedience, religious activity (Romans 2:17, 20; 3:1, 2).
- What happened to it?, It was excluded. The aorist tense points to a decisive event: the cross (as Cambridge notes, 'by the declaration made in the Redeemer's death').
- Which law?, The principle at work. Paul compares two 'laws' or systems. One is based on doing; the other on trusting.
- Why not works?, Works cannot shut out pride. If I earn salvation, I deserve the credit. The very logic of merit feeds boasting.
- Why faith?, Faith receives, doesn't achieve. By faith we receive Christ's righteousness (Philippians 3:9). All glory goes to God.
Illustration hooks
- A person who finishes a marathon feels proud of their effort. But a person carried across the finish line by a rescuer feels only gratitude. The 'law of faith' puts us in the second position.
- Two job candidates: one demands a salary because of perfect performance; the other thanks the employer for grace. Boasting is natural to the first, foreign to the second.
- A child receiving a gift from a parent doesn't boast about earning it. Faith is the simple act of receiving what God offers in Christ.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does 'no boasting' mean Christians can't feel good about anything they do?
- If my salvation doesn't depend on my efforts, does it matter how I live?
- How do I know if I am secretly trusting in my own goodness rather than in Christ alone?
Leading a Discussion
Romans 3:27 is a summary of the good news: human pride has no place because salvation is entirely God's gift. These questions will help your group see how this truth frees us from performance and anchors us in grace.
Discussion questions
- Read Romans 3:27 aloud. What kind of 'boasting' do you think Paul had in mind? Look at verses 1, 2 and 29, 30 for clues.
- The Greek word translated 'excluded' means 'shut out, prevented from entering.' Why does Paul use such strong language?
- Paul contrasts two 'laws': of works and of faith. In your own words, what makes these two principles different?
- How would a 'law of works' leave room for boasting? Can you think of everyday examples where people still rely on works?
- Why does faith, by its very nature, 'exclude' boasting? How does faith shift the focus from ourselves to God?
- Read Luke 18:9, 14. How does the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector illustrate what Paul is saying?
- If boasting is excluded, what should take its place? How does this change the way we pray, serve, and relate to others?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Ezekiel 16:62 | I will establish my covenant with you. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; |
| Ezekiel 16:63 | that you may remember, and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more because of your shame, when I have forgiven you all that you have done,” says the Lord Yahweh.’” |
| Ezekiel 36:31 | “‘“Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. |
| Ezekiel 36:32 | I don’t do this for your sake,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel.” |
| Zephaniah 3:11 | In that day you will not be disappointed for all your doings in which you have transgressed against me; for then I will take away out from among you your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be arrogant in my holy mountain. |
| Mark 16:16 | He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. |
| Luke 18:9 | He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others: |
| Luke 18:14 | I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that boasting is shut out not by the law of works, which still stands as a rule of life but grants no pardon, but by the law of faith. It is faith alone, through Christ's propitiation, that justifies sinners and brings them into God's favor.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that any system of justification based on works would naturally lead to human boasting, since people could claim credit for their own righteousness. By contrast, the law of faith excludes boasting entirely because it confronts us as lost sinners who are justified only through God's mercy in Christ. He specifically targets Jewish pride in their special privileges.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that Paul leaves no room whatsoever for human boasting — not even the smallest particle of merit or worth remains. Faith receives everything from God and brings nothing except a humble confession of need. For Calvin, the contrast is absolute: works would give ground for glorying, but faith alone shuts the mouth entirely.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that "law" in "law of faith" does not mean a moral code but a divine rule or principle: justification comes only through faith. The boasting excluded is specifically the Jew's pride in privilege, set aside by what Christ's death declared.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that boasting is shut out specifically by the principle of faith, not by any system of works. A law of works would leave room for human pride, but the law of faith removes it entirely by making salvation a gift received, not an achievement earned.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the law of works actually encourages boasting, since people imagine they can earn righteousness by their own efforts. Boasting is excluded only by the "law of faith," which he defines as the gospel doctrine of justification through faith alone in Christ's righteousness, leaving no room for human merit.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights that boasting is excluded not by any system of human effort but by the very principle of faith itself. The law of faith, unlike the law of works, leaves no ground for self-congratulation because it relies entirely on receiving, not achieving.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry presents Paul's conclusion in verse 28 as the logical capstone of the entire argument from chapter 1 onward, treating it as a demonstrated truth rather than a mere assertion. The law itself, he notes, bears witness to this righteousness, so faith does not abolish the law but establishes it.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley argues that human boasting is excluded not by the law of works, which would still allow room for pride, but by the law of faith. This divine constitution requires everyone, without distinction, to come as guilty sinners and depend solely on God's free mercy in Christ, making faith alone the condition of acceptance.