I would be as hesitant to accept the “new perspective” as I am to accept the older views.

For Romans (and for any epistle), we have to be careful not to get into reading into the text precisely because it is an epistle. All of Paul’s communications are epistles!

we have to be conscious of previous communication or news from the community to which the author was replying.

Especially with Romans, I often have the feeling that Paul is responding to a longish communication or perhaps to a series of different ones from the community at Rome. Without knowing precisely what the question was, building elaborate theologies based on the answers seems to me to be foolish.

Romans 7, though is very 1st person, why not just take it as that?

Live to serve : Serve to live