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Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Romans 3:27 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
  • BSB Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith.
  • NKJV Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.
  • NASB Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
  • NLT Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Because salvation is by faith, all human boasting is excluded. We have nothing to brag about before God.

Overview

Paul draws out a consequence of justification by faith: it leaves no room for pride. Salvation is not by 'a law of works' that we could accomplish, but by 'a law of faith' that simply receives God's gift. This guards the gospel against self-congratulation and gives all glory to God.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 24

  • Rom 4:2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
  • Rom 2:23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
  • 1 Cor 1:29–31That no flesh should glory in his presence.
  • Rom 2:17Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
  • Eph 2:8–10For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
  • Gal 3:22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
  • Rom 7:21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
  • Zeph 3:11In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
  • 1 Jn 5:11–12And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
  • Rom 7:25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
  • Rom 11:6And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
  • Luke 18:9–14And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
  • John 3:36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
  • Rom 3:19Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
  • Mark 16:16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
  • Rom 8:2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
  • Ezek 16:62–63And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD:
  • 1 Cor 4:7For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
  • Rom 7:23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
  • Rom 9:11(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
  • Rom 9:32Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
  • Gal 2:16Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
  • Ezek 36:31–32Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
  • Rom 10:5For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Romans videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Romans 3:27YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RomansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.

How Romans 3:27 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.