The Doctrine of The Holy Spirit
Prior to His death, Jesus promised to send a "helper," or "advocate," called alongside to provide encouragement, guidance, and strength to His followers, the church. What does the Bible say about this Helper?
The Holy Spirit is Personal
By personal we mean a personal being. He speaks (Acts 1:16; 8:29; 10:19; 13:2), intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26-27), teaches (John 14:26), and guides us into all truth (John 16:13). He also will bring things into remembrance that were spoken by Jesus (John 14:26). (This last point probably referenced the Apostles' ministry, who would record Jesus' words in the Bible for our instruction. He also called Paul and Barnabas to missionary service (Acts 13:2).
The Holy Spirit is God
In Acts 5:3-4 we learn that to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God. 1 Cor. 6:19 identifies our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit, the very place referred to as "God's temple" in 1 Cor. 3:16. Paul's benediction in 2 Cor. 13:14 names the Father, Son, and Spirit together as one. Furthermore, we are to baptize in the "name" (singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). The Holy Spirit has divine attributes, or traits belonging only to God. He is called "the eternal Spirit (Heb. 9:14), "wisdom" (Isa. 11:2), all present (Psalm 139:7-10), all knowing (Isa. 40:13; 1 Cor. 2:10-11), and all powerful (Psalm 104:30; Rom. 15:19). Isaiah records what Yahweh said in Isa. 6:8-10, something Paul attributes to the Holy Spirit (Acts 28:25-27). Compare also Psalm 95:7-11 with Heb. 3:7-9.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
The primary work of the Holy Spirit is to testify to and glorify Jesus Christ (John 16:14), particularly in salvation. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11), and inclines our stubborn wills to God, enabling us to believe (Acts 16:14). He regenerates us, causing us to be born anew (Tit. 3:5; John 3:5). He loves believers (Rom. 15:30) and encourages, comforts, and even warns them (Acts 9:31; 1 Tim. 4:1). He becomes grieved when we sin (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19). He teaches the believer and the church (1 John 2:20, 27). Additionally, He empowers us to proclaim Christ (Acts 1:8), and leads us to pursue holiness in our lives (Gal. 5:22-23; 2 Thess. 2:13). The Spirit was active in creation (Gen. 1:2; Psalm 104:30). Professor John Frame summarizes the work of the Spirit when he says, "He gives us what we need for our present, continuing walk with God."
The Gifts of the Spirit
As far back as Exodus, the Spirit enabled Bezalel and Oholiab to construct the tabernacle along with it's elaborate functions and instruments of worship (Exod. 28:3; 31:3; Deut. 34:9). The New Testament also describes some endowments of the Holy Spirit, and even mentions a catalog of specific gifts (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:7-10, 28; 1 Pet. 4:10-11). God granted these gifts for the mutual edification (building up) of Christ's church (1 Cor. 12:7).
The Miraculous Gifts of the Spirit
The New Testament contains many accounts of supernatural works performed by Jesus and His apostles, such as healing and even raising people from the dead. Some of these acts were unique to them and are called "signs of an apostle" (2 Cor. 12:12), or "signs belonging to an apostle":
The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.
Paul supports his own authority by appealing to miracles performed by his own hand (Gal. 3:5). In addition to this, Scripture indicates God invested certain authority in the apostles to confer such gifts to others. The Bible makes clear that the Spirit of God indwells each believer (1 Cor. 12:13), indeed, "all were made to drink of one Spirit." This is that very indwelling of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus before He left this world (John 14:16-17). This Spirit, then, was the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49). Today when a person turns to the Lord in repentance and faith, he or she receives the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5). Anyone who does not have the Spirit of God does not belong to God at all (Rom. 8:9). So since the day of Pentecost each believer possesses the indwelling of the Holy Spirit for guidance, comfort, illumination, and sanctification.
Only an Apostle Could Confer a Miraculous Gift
Many today suppose the church should routinely practice these supernatural sign gifts, such as speaking in tongues and divine healing. What they sometimes fail to acknowledge, is only an apostle could bestow such a gift. Each instance in the Book of Acts where a healing or the gifts of tongues was performed, it was either done by an apostle (or one was standing close by), or by someone the apostles laid their hands on. In Acts 8, many days after the Day of Pentecost and the baptism of the church by the Holy Spirit, the apostles sent Peter and John to Samaria to pray for them "that they might receive the Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:14-15). Upon their arrival, they "laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit" (8:17). Even the soothsayer Simon observed this and tried to bribe the apostles into letting him have this gift of bestowing the miraculous manifestation of the Spirit on others (8:19). Only an apostle could confer this gift. As further proof, a great ordination ceremony was held in Acts 6 where the apostles laid hands on certain individuals and sent them out to serve. (This group is often called the first deacon board, but we don't know if they held the office later to be called the diaconate.) Soon after, Stephen begins to perform signs and wonders among the people (Acts 6:8). Evidently, when the apostles laid hands on him, they conferred upon him the ability to perform signs and wonders. But Stephen, himself not an apostle, could not give this gift to another.
Another man from this group sent out by the apostles was Philip (Acts 6:5). Later he was sent to Gaza to assist an Ethiopian eunuch from Candace's court. Philip assisted him in understanding a portion of God's Word and to lead him to Christ (Acts 8:35). The eunuch believed and rejoiced, but did not speak in tongues or perform wonders. Why? we're not told, but in keeping with this theme of an apostle's authority, Philip could not bestow this gift on another since he was not an apostle.
In the three instances in the Book of Acts where people exercise the gift of tongues, an apostle is in their midst (Acts 2, 10:44-48, 19:1-7). Notice in this last passage Paul "laid his hands on them" and they received the miraculous gift of tongues (or languages). They already had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, so this was something far different and something only an apostle could give him.
Look at Rom. 1:11:
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you.
Certainly he did not refer to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, or even spiritual gifts in general. They already possessed these in abundance as seen in chapter 12:3-8. In that passage we notice what is missing: any mention of the sign gifts. The Apostle Paul had yet to visit the Roman Christians, but longed to do so. When he arrived, it was his desire to bestow on them some of these extraordinary manifestations of the Holy Spirit. He could do what Simon Magus could not: confer sign gifts because he was an apostle.
Conclusion
When did the sign gifts end? Quite simply when the last recipient of those gifts died, sometime in the very early church. The gifts did not continue on and we have no evidence they exist today. Can God perform a miracle? Indeed He can and does, whenever He chooses. But the sign gifts as a normal function of the New Testament church have long since passed off the scene.