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Romans 3:27 meaning

We have no part in our justification; there is no place for boasting, our works do nothing. Justification can only come by faith.

If Paul is anything he is persistent. Here again, he makes the same point he has already made many times (and will continue to make): there is no possibility for us to participate in being justified before God by keeping the law.

None. Zero. Why? Because we cannot keep the law. Everyone of us is under sin (verse 23). Paul includes himself as a sinner, saying he is no better than the hypocritical slanderers (verse 9).

Further, there is no boasting for our participation in being justified because Jesus alone is the justifier (verses 26-27). The justifying before God that Jesus does is completely apart from the law (verse 21) and is given completely free, with no strings attached. That gift is received by faith alone (verses 24-25).

The competing Jewish “authorities” maintain that adherence to the law is necessary to be justified before God, and have slandered Paul’s insistence that our justification before God is separate from the law, by grace through faith. Paul, here, is continually and artfully deconstructing the slander that would undermine Paul’s gospel message if it were to be adopted by the world famous believers in Rome.

Biblical Text

²⁷ 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.

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Additional Resources

Book Theme

The Apostle Paul writes to the world-renowned believers in Rome, the center of the world at that time, in order to answer a slanderous charge made to them against Paul and his message. Paul’s detractors claim his emphasis on faith overturns the law. Paul says that ” just living by the law” does not achieve personal justice before God, while “just living by faith” does. Paul then demonstrates what a just life looks like: harmonious living with Jesus as the leader. Paul also makes clear the choice a believer has: to walk in faith and the power of the resurrection and experience resurrection life, or walk in sin and unnecessarily experience the negative consequences.

Chapter Context

Paul specifies the slander charge raised against him by competing Jewish “authorities” who claim Paul is teaching that believers ought to sin. These “authorities” claim that Paul teaches we ought to do evil because then we are doing good: “Do evil that good may come.”

These authorities claim Paul teaches that we do God a favor by showing how full of grace God is.

Paul dismisses their charge as a statement that is worthy of condemnation, but goes on to emphasize that he is no better than they are because no person other than Jesus can be good enough to satisfy the requirements of God’s law.

The reality is that we are all sinners, and each of us needs the grace of God. In this chapter, Paul sets up a defense of his position that righteous living comes through living by faith.

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