Why the diverse opinions/interpretations on various topics of the bible?

[u/Comfortable-Work8624]

I’m told that Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit, meaning they have a direct connection to God. If that is true, wouldn’t the Holy Spirit guide, show, and teach the correct interpretation of biblical topics, resulting in all true Christians arriving at the same understanding?

But right now, interpretations are all over the place. On hell alone, some believe in eternal torment, others in annihilation, and others in purification through pain or some other process. Then there are differences over the tribulation—pre-trib, post-trib, and so on. Some believe in a young earth, others in an old earth, and the list of disagreements keeps going.

Logically, if the Holy Spirit reveals truth, then it should lead people to the correct interpretation. So either the existence of so many conflicting interpretations suggests there is no Holy Spirit—and therefore no God—or it means there is a group of Christians who truly have the correct interpretation as revealed by the Holy Spirit, while those with false interpretations do not actually have the Holy Spirit and were never truly Christians in the first place.

[u/GingerMcSpikeyBangs]

Agreed. Paul (having more written in scripture than others) has the most to say about this, but Peter and Jude have valuable input as well. It's s sorrowful thing to see, but since it was prophesied I suppose it should be no surprise that it's happening. Just another sign of the times.

Of course I'm taking the "choice" out of the struggle in order to answer, but you are correct in your assertion that the Spirit brings a unified understanding to the faith. We're supposed to be wary of ourselves as well, since because Christ in glory is yet to be revealed, and the children of God with Him, we still have further revelation in reality despite having the whole vision declared. This is why Paul can say both that the Spirit teaches all things, AND that we see thru a glass dimly and only know in part.

The holy Spirit is not an auto-obtain that comes thru a "correct worldview," and "belief" is not merely what you think is true, even if you think it super-hard. Modern christianity has become sort of a joke, and there's very few people that even notice. But those that do see it, see it because the Spirit shows them.