Theophylact of Ohrid, on Rom 3:27

“Where is then thy boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.”

“The Apostle proved that we are justified through faith, which is why he rightly asks the Jew: where then is that in which you would boast and take pride? He does not say: where is virtue? For the Jews did not have virtue, but only boasting. And he continues: "it is excluded," which means: it is no longer the time to boast. Before Christ it was timely to boast in the law, but now it is no longer timely, for it has become evident that boasting in it is useless. For if the law could justify us, there would be no need for us of Christ. By what law, he asks, is it "excluded"? By the law of works, that is, the one which says that the man who does them shall live by them (Lev. 18:5)? (For this is what the law of Moses said). No, he answers; but by the law of faith, which justifies by grace, and not by works. Behold, he even calls faith a law, because the word "law" was held in honor among the Jews. So boast, O Jew, in faith, which is able to justify you.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.