Romans 3:27

The context

Romans 3 reaches its conclusion after a catena of quotations and a statement about righteousness apart from law. Paul then asks what has become of boasting, and answers with a distinction between two principles. The vocabulary is unusual: he speaks of a law of faith, a phrase that appears nowhere else in the letter.

What it establishes

It establishes that Paul ruled out any ground for human boasting, and that he did so by contrasting a principle of works with a principle of faith. The exclusion is stated as a conclusion already reached.

What it does not establish

It does not make faith a work. Whether the law of faith is itself a kind of requirement, and how it differs from obedience, is the question interpreters argue over. The verse asserts the exclusion of boasting without explaining the mechanism by which faith avoids becoming a contribution.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• Why do Christians think God is going to let them into heaven because they were better than everybody else?

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