Romans 3:27 (ASV)

Passage

Where then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner of law? of works? Nay: but by a law of faith.

Nearby Context

Romans 3:25 whom God set forth [to be] a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God;

Romans 3:26 for the showing, [I say], of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus.

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 3:28 We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

Romans 3:29 Or is God [the God] of Jews only? is he not [the God] of Gentiles also? Yea, of Gentiles also:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "where", "glorying", "excluded", "manner", and "works". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "where", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "for the showing I say of his..." into verse 28's "We reckon therefore that a man is...", so "faith" and "where" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "faith" and "where" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.