In Greek Paul uses a further question (“through what kind of law?”) in combination with an incorrect answer (“through [the law] of works?”) and a strong negative response (“No!”) to expand the answer (Nothing; literally “it was excluded”) to his first question (What, then can we boast about?). Then he gives the correct answer to the second question (“through [the law] of faith”). The Good News Translation takes “law” to mean any sort of general rule or principle (see Moffatt, An American Translation*, New English Bible, Revised Standard Version “on what principle?”), and considerably restructures the remainder of the verse. First, Paul’s second question is made into a statement introducing an explanation (And what is the reason for this?). Then the two noun phrases (“through works” and “through faith”) are transformed into verb phrases, while at the name time the idea of boasting is made explicit and the negative expression is rearranged: It is that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe.

Even with the restructuring of verse 27, which is necessary to make the Greek text intelligible in English, considerable further restructuring may be required in some languages, especially in those which do not employ rhetorical questions together with answers. When questions and answers are excluded as a rhetorical device, one may translate as follows: “There is therefore nothing that a person may boast about, and the reason for this is that he is not put right with God because he obeys the law but simply because he believes.” Even in instances where questions and answers may be employed in this very effective rhetorical structure of verse 27, it may be necessary to somewhat expand some of the expressions—for example, “What then can a man boast about? He can boast about nothing. Why can’t he boast? Can he not boast because he obeys the Law and is in this way put right with God? No, indeed, he cannot, since he is put right with God not by obeying the Law but because he believes.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .