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Selected Verse: Romans 3:27 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ro 3:27 |
King James |
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
INFERENCES FROM THE FOREGOING DOCTRINES AND AN OBJECTION ANSWERED. (Rom 3:27-31)
Where is boasting then? . . . excluded. By what law?--on what principle or scheme?.
of works? Nay; but by the law of faith. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Where is boasting then? - Where is there ground or occasion of boasting or pride? Since all have sinned, and since all have failed of being able to justify themselves by obeying the Law, and since all are alike dependent on the mere mercy of God in Christ, all ground of boasting is of course taken away. This refers particularly to the Jews, who were much addicted to boasting of their special privileges; See the note at Rom 3:1, etc.
By what law? - The word "law "here is used in the sense of "arrangement, rule, or economy." By what arrangement, or by the operation of what rule, is boasting excluded? "(Stuart)." See Gal 3:21; Act 21:20.
Of works - The Law which commands works, and on which the Jews relied. If this were complied with, and they were thereby justified, they would have had ground of self-confidence, or boasting, as being justified by their own merits. But a plan which led to this, which ended in boasting, and self-satisfaction, and pride, could not be true.
Nay - No.
The law of faith - The rule, or arrangement which proclaims that we have no merit; that we are lost sinners; and that we are to be justified only by faith. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Boasting (καύχησις)
Rev., glorying. Only once outside of Paul's writings, Jam 4:16. See on rejoiceth, Jam 2:13. Not ground of boasting, which would be καύχημα, as Rom 4:2; Co2 1:14; Phi 1:26. The reference is to the glorying of the Jew (Rom 2:17), proclaiming his own goodness and the merit of his ceremonial observances.
It is excluded (ἐξεκλείσθη)
A peculiarly vivid use of the aorist tense. It was excluded by the coming in of the revelation of righteousness by faith.
By what law? (διὰ ποίου νόμου)
Lit., by what kind of a law? Rev., by what manner of law? What is the nature of the excluding law?
Of works? (τῶν ἔργων)
Lit., the works, of which the Jew makes so much. Is it a law that enjoins these works? Nay, but a law which enjoins faith. Paul does not suppose two laws and give the preference to one. There is but one divine law of ejectment, the quality of which is such that, instead of enjoining the Jews' works, it enjoins faith. The old and the new forms of the religious life are brought under the one conception of law. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Where is the boasting then of the Jew against the gentile? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay - This would have left room for boasting. But by the law of faith - Since this requires all, without distinction, to apply as guilty and helpless sinners, to the free mercy of God in Christ. The law of faith is that divine constitution which makes faith, not works, the condition of acceptance. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Jew. Where is boasting, then? - 'η καυχησις, This glorying of ours. Have we nothing in which we can trust for our acceptance with God? No merit of our own? Nothing accruing to us from our circumcision and being in covenant with God.
Apostle, It is excluded - εξεκλεισθη, It is shut out; the door of heaven is shut against every thing of this kind.
Jew. By what law? - By what rule, doctrine, or reason is it shut out? by the law of works? The rule of obedience, which God gave to us, and by which obedience we are accepted by him?
Apostle. Nay - Not by the law of works; glorying is not cut off or shut out by that; it stands in full force as the rule of life; but you have sinned and need pardon. The law of works grants no pardon, it requires obedience, and threatens the disobedient with death. But all glorying in the expectation of salvation, through your own obedience, is excluded by the law, the doctrine of faith: faith alone, in the mercy of God, through the propitiation made by the blood of Jesus, (Rom 3:25), is that by which you can be justified, pardoned, and taken into the Divine favor. |
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;