the twenty-first century, and the church is probably more fragmented than at any time in church history. We’ve seen a crisis with the question, “What is the church after all?” Historically, via the ancient church council of Nicea, the church has been defined by four key words. It is, 1) one, 2) holy, 3) catholic, and 4) apostolic. As we study the nature of the church, I want to look at these four descriptive categories as they define the nature of the church. First of all, the church is one. Really?