If it's True That Justification by Faith ...

[Josheb]

Instead, most scholars believe it was 1 Thessalonians.

Which is quite likely since the Church was established in Thessalonica well before the gospel reached Rome and any organization thereof was established. Jews from Rome are mentioned to have been present at Pentecost (Acts 2) but the next mention of Rome in Luke's early Church history of Acts is in chapters 18 and 19 when the Jews are commanded by Caesar to leave Rome and Paul later reports his intent to visit Rome. He was not directed to go to Rome by God until chapter 23 and it is not until the end of Acts that Luke reports their arrival. With Thessalonica we find that Paul visited the city in Acts 17 and there were already Jews there who'd heard the gospel from Berea. Paul taught in the synagogue, as was his custom, and many Jews believed. The Church in Thessalonica was well-established before Rome's.

At least Martin Luther was consistent in this that he placed Romans as the first written epistle

Luther was speaking ordinately, not chronologically.

 

[EarlyActs]

I knew that.

So what do you mean by the emoticons?

 

[brightfame52]

Justification by faith ALONE is and always has been the foundational issue.

If understood properly, Justification by Faith alone means Justification by Christ alone ! If His Blood that Justifies the elect b4 God, and Faith will embrace that fact, that fact is revealed to Faith via the Gospel Rom 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17For therein[The Gospel] is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.