The apostle ____ said that we have been sanctified through the work of the Holy Spirit and begotten unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance, which is ____ and ____ that fadeth not away (1 Peter 1:2-4).

The apostle ____ said that we have been sanctified through the work of the Holy Spirit and begotten unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance, which is ____ and ____ that fadeth not away (1 Peter 1:2-4).

• A. Paul; incorruptible; undefiled
• B. John; incorruptible; undefiled
• C. James; incorruptible; undefiled
• D. Peter; incorruptible; undefiled

Answer: (D)

The passage centers on who speaks and how the inheritance for believers is described. In this opening reach of the letter, the speaker is the apostle Peter, not Paul, John, or James. Peter emphasizes that God’s mercy has caused believers to be born again into a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection, and it then sets before them an inheritance that is described as incorruptible and undefiled, not fading away, and kept in heaven for you. Understanding the descriptors helps with the meaning: incorruptible means it cannot decay or spoil; undefiled means it is pure and free from contamination by sin; and not fading away signals its eternal, unfading nature. Together, these terms convey a steadfast, secure future inheritance prepared by God, which is a recurring theme in Peter’s message to bolster believers’ hope. So the best fit is that the apostle speaking is Peter, and the inheritance described is incorruptible and undefiled. The other apostles are not the speaker in this scripture, and the exact wording of these descriptors aligns with Peter’s opening description in this passage.

The passage centers on who speaks and how the inheritance for believers is described. In this opening reach of the letter, the speaker is the apostle Peter, not Paul, John, or James. Peter emphasizes that God’s mercy has caused believers to be born again into a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection, and it then sets before them an inheritance that is described as incorruptible and undefiled, not fading away, and kept in heaven for you.

Understanding the descriptors helps with the meaning: incorruptible means it cannot decay or spoil; undefiled means it is pure and free from contamination by sin; and not fading away signals its eternal, unfading nature. Together, these terms convey a steadfast, secure future inheritance prepared by God, which is a recurring theme in Peter’s message to bolster believers’ hope.

So the best fit is that the apostle speaking is Peter, and the inheritance described is incorruptible and undefiled. The other apostles are not the speaker in this scripture, and the exact wording of these descriptors aligns with Peter’s opening description in this passage.