He was rebuking them for going back to the law of Moses. They were obeying the wrong law. It's not mysterious his context and you are trying to broaden that context to cover your own believe rather than conforming your belief to what he's written.
Everyone is conscience of the law through their own conscience. Paul was speaking to gentiles when He said this. The law shows us that we are sinners. THIS APPLIES TO EVERYONE!! Everyone is freed COMPLETELY of the law ONLY through the death of Christ.
Romans 3
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and
all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight,
for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Romans 7:1
Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law),
that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?
What law is he talking about when he says EVERYONE? Yes, the same law He is talking about in the previous chapters.
Romans 7:3
So then if, while
her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that
law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.
Romans 7:4
Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the
law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.
Romans 7:5
For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the
law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.
Romans 7:6
But now we have been delivered from the
law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not
in the oldness of the letter.
What law? The same LAW!
Romans 7:7
What shall we say then?
Is the
law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the
law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the
law had said, “You shall not covet.”
Romans 7:9
I was alive once without the
law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
What law? THE SAME LAW...
Romans 7:12
Therefore the
law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
Romans 7:16
If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the
law that
it is good.
Romans 7:21
I find then a
law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
Romans 7:22
For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
Inward man? Is this inward man only the inward man of the Jews? ABSOLUTELY NOT, he is speaking to EVERYONE both Jews and gentiles, but if you must argue this letter was written to the church in ROME!!!
Everyone's conscience is pricked by the HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS LAW OF GOD and that is why NOT ONE JOT OR TITTLE SHALL BE REMOVED. Why? Because the law is a schoolmaster (tutor) to bring us to Christ. A schoolmaster (tutor) to both Jews and gentiles! The law can chase us to Calvary but no further.
Matthew 5:18
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Why does Jesus say that not one jot or tittle shall be removed? BECAUSE THE LAW REVEALS WE ARE SINNERS AND IS OUR SCHOOLMASTER TO BRING US TO CHRIST! Do you not understand that!
Galatians 3:24
Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:25
But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Galatians 2:19
For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.
Again what law do you think he is referring to when talking to GENTILES???
You have no Idea what the law is for do you?
The only way to DIE TO THE LAW is through THE BODY OF CHRIST!! And still more proof of this...
Ephesians 2:15
having abolished in His flesh the enmity,
that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
Philippians 3:9
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
1 Timothy 1:8
But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,
1 Timothy 1:9
knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
Again, what LAW is he referring to in these letters to the GENTILES???
Hebrews 7:19
for the
law made nothing perfect; on the other hand,
there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
James 2:9
but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the
law as transgressors.
And you still want to remove the the law, when this law is in place law to bring both Jews and Gentiles to Christ???
Matthew 5:18
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
