John Calvin Commentary Romans 3:27

"Where then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner of law? of works? Nay: but by a law of faith." — Romans 3:27 (ASV)

Where then is glorying? The Apostle, after having, with abundantly strong reasons, cast down men from their confidence in works, now triumphs over their folly. This exulting conclusion was necessary, for on this subject, teaching us would not have been enough; it was necessary that the Holy Spirit should loudly thunder, in order to lay prostrate our loftiness.

But he says that glorying is beyond all doubt excluded, because we cannot present anything of our own that is worthy of being approved or commended by God.

If the material of glorying is merit—whether you call it merit of congruity or of condignity, by which man would conciliate God—you see that both are annihilated here. For he does not treat of lessening or modifying merit, but Paul leaves no particle behind.

Besides, since by faith glorying in works is so taken away that faith cannot be truly preached without wholly depriving man of all praise by ascribing all to God’s mercy, it follows that we are not assisted by any works in obtaining righteousness.

Of works? In what sense does the Apostle deny here that our merits are excluded by the law, since he has previously proved that we are condemned by the law? For if the law delivers us over to death, what glorying can we obtain from it? Does it not, on the contrary, deprive us of all glorying and cover us with shame?

He then indeed showed that our sin is laid open by what the law declares, for we have all neglected to keep it. But he means here that if righteousness were to be obtained by the law of works, our glorying would not be excluded. However, since it is by faith alone, there is nothing we can claim for ourselves, for faith receives everything from God and brings nothing except a humble confession of need.

This contrast between faith and works ought to be carefully noticed: works are mentioned here without any limitation—indeed, works universally. Therefore, he is not speaking only of ceremonies, nor specifically of any external work, but includes all the merits of works that can possibly be imagined.

The name of law is here, somewhat imprecisely, given to faith. But this by no means obscures the Apostle's meaning, for what he means is that when we come to the rule of faith, all glorying in works is laid prostrate. It is as though he said, “The righteousness of works is indeed commended by the law, but that of faith has its own law, which leaves no righteousness to works, whatever they may be.”