The Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed and Athanasian Creed all find their origins in the early Christian church (the fourth century, give or take a century) and have been accepted by the great majority of Christian believers since that time. All three are endorsed by the Belgic Confession (Article 9), and the Apostles' Creed forms the basis for a significant portion of the Heidelberg Catechism (Lord's Days 7-22). For a couple of choral readings based on the Athanasian Creed click here.

The Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort comprise the doctrinal standards of the Christian Reformed Church. Also known as the "Three Forms of Unity," they arose out of the Protestant Reformation in Europe - the first two were written in the 1560s and were approved more than 55 years later by the same Synod of Dort (1618-1619) which drafted the third. Each had a different purpose, and they vary greatly in their tone and style; together, they define the core of what it means to be "Reformed."