New Testament freedom
Can Christians eat blood? I know the Old Testament ceremonial laws no longer need to be followed because Jesus came and fulfilled the law, and several places in the New Testament confirm that. But Acts 15:29 says we should abstain from eating blood. Given the context, this sounds like a command still applicable to post-resurrection Christians. But it doesn't seem to fit Christian freedom. Is it wrong to eat blood? (For example, coagulated blood is in some Chinese cuisine.) If so, why? Why does that apply when other rules about what we can eat were abolished?
The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) addressed the question of whether or not Gentile converts needed to observe any Old Testament ceremonial laws to become members of the Christian Church. The Council affirmed that faith in Jesus Christ alone saves.
At the same time the Council directed Gentile converts to abstain from items (“from blood” – Acts 15:29) that would have been offensive to Jewish Christians who were transitioning from Old Testament obligations to New Testament freedoms.
It is clear from the immediate context of Acts 15 that the directive had limited application and is not binding on all Christians of all time. The wider context of Scripture—sections like Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8 and Colossians 2—speaks of the freedom Christians enjoy when it comes to diet.
The Bible makes it clear that there are no New Testament ceremonial laws.