Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Romans 3:28

"We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." — Romans 3:28 (ASV)

The opening words here suggest that this paragraph is designed especially for Jews, for even though boasting is not confined to them, it has already been noticed as a distinct tendency in their case (2:17, 23). On what established principle is boasting excluded? God has ordained faith as the sole condition for receiving salvation; that is what provides no basis for boasting, for in the last analysis faith, like the salvation it embraces, is God’s gift (Ephesians 2:8). While Paul could speak of the righteousness he sought through observing the law as his own righteousness , he cannot so speak of the righteousness he has in Christ. Once again he insists that justification takes place by faith apart from observing the law. Does this statement contradict 2:13? No, for everything depends on the right motive. To glory over one’s achievement ruins the whole enterprise: it becomes an affront to God, and its value is gone .

Again Paul moves to catch the eye of his Jewish readers by appealing to their awareness that God is one (vv.29–30). Jews, surrounded by pagan idolatry, proudly repeated the monotheistic confession of Dt 6:4. Paul now turns it to good account. Logically, if God is one and if he alone is God, then we can expect him to employ only one method to bring humanity to himself. Faith is therefore the condition for receiving salvation on the part of Jew and Gentile alike (v.30). Neither has any advantage over the other. The Gentile must come “by that same faith” required of the Jew (cf. 1:16; Gal. 2:15-16).