Gnostics and Proto-Orthodox Christians became bitter rivals towards the end of the 2nd century and beyond. Their opinions were opposite; this included their creation myths, which couldn't have been more different. Although some elements overlapped, the differences between these two religions far outweighed the similarities. Each religion interpreted the Scriptures differently, and each side sincerely believed they had the correct views about God(s), religion, and ultimate truth. Each religion had many creation stories, but the two most popular were the Book of Genesis for proto-orthodox Christians and the Secret Book of John for Gnostics. These stories, or myths, formed the fundamental foundations of every religion and offered various explanations for how the world and humanity came into being. The Secret Book of John is one of the most famous and well-known Gnostic texts. It was found in the Nag Hammadi Library, discovered in Egypt. The Book of Genesis is a part of the Christian Bible of the Old Testament. Both texts were equally influential and meant a lot to each religion. The creation stories of Proto-Orthodox Christians and Gnostics shaped some of their most important beliefs, particularly the belief in how suffering leads to salvation. The most popular Gnostic creation myth for proto-orthodox Christians was in the Secret Book of John. This Gnostic creation myth began with the Monad. The Monad was their supreme god and the creator of all existence. In the Secret Book of John it is described as “a monarchy with nothing above it. [It is He who exists] as [God] and father of all, [the invisible] He who is above [all, who exists as] incorruptibility, who is [in] the pure light in which not... in middle of paper... they wouldn't know why they were made, only to die at some point. This creation myth puts these points into perspective for them. We will all die eventually, and this creation story tells us why this happens and how we can gain forgiveness for our sins. Salvation and suffering are two very important parts of Gnosticism and proto-orthodox Christianity. Both had different opinions on both aspects of their religion. The Gnostics believed they were suffering because of something Yaltabaoth had done, not necessarily something they themselves had done. The proto-Orthodox believed exactly the opposite, meaning that they suffer because they commit sin, which is a separation from God. Both paths of suffering lead to salvation, but this also differs between religions. The main reason for this difference goes back to their creation stories and how these define what each religion believes.