John Chrysostom, On False Prophets

that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, and in the future looking for 59.568 the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Remember me always, brethren, and hold the traditions which you received from the blessed men, both prophets and apostles, and from the Lord of all. And you have the prophets as an example of suffering and longsuffering, Job as an example of patience, Joseph as an example of chastity, Daniel as an example of discernment, our Lord Jesus Christ as an example of love, who gave Himself for us, you have David, the forefather of God, as an example of repentance. For he has become for us a model of repentance, exhorting us, and encouraging us, and saying, Come, children, listen to me; I will show you the way of repentance; because I too once stumbled, but through repentance I arose; and I know the loving-kindness of the Lord; I know how genuinely he receives those who repent with open arms; for it is impossible for my Lord to lie. For I heard Him say: The things that go forth from My lips I will not alter. For heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. Once have I sworn by My holiness. As I live, I do not desire the death of the sinner. You have heard that the lover of mankind has sworn by Himself. For this reason I exhort all: Come, children, listen to me; and while we have time, let us hasten, before the great day of the Lord comes; Let us come before His presence with confession. Come, let us worship and fall down before the Lord who made us. For He made us, He will have compassion on us, and bless us, He will cause His face to shine upon us and have mercy on us; for He is the God of the repentant, He receives us when we repent, He will also shepherd us; to Him be the glory and the power and all thanksgiving, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι προσδεχόμενοι 59.568 τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα, καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Μέμνησθέ μου πάντοτε, ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ κρατεῖτε τὰς παραδόσεις, ἃς παρελάβετε παρὰ τῶν μακαρίων ἀνδρῶν, προφητῶν τε καὶ ἀποστόλων, καὶ τοῦ ∆εσπότου τῶν ὅλων. Ὑπόδειγμα δὲ τῆς κακοπαθείας καὶ μακροθυμίας ἔχετε τοὺς προφήτας, τῆς ὑπομονῆς τὸν Ἰὼβ, τῆς σωφροσύνης τὸν Ἰωσὴφ, τῆς διακρίσεως τὸν ∆ανιὴλ, τῆς ἀγάπης τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ὃς ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, τῆς μετανοίας τὸν θεοπάτορα ∆αυῒδ ἔχετε. Οὗτος γὰρ τύπος μετανοίας ἡμῖν γέγονε, παραινῶν ἡμῖν, καὶ παρακαλῶν, καὶ λέγων, ∆εῦτε τέκνα. ἀκούσατέ μου· κἀγὼ ὑμῖν ὑποδείξω τὸν τρόπον τῆς μετανοίας· ἐπειδὴ κἀγώ ποτε ἐσκανδαλίσθην, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς μετανοίας ἀνέστην· καὶ γινώσκω τὴν τοῦ ∆εσπότου φιλανθρωπίαν· οἶδα πῶς γνησίως τοὺς μετανοοῦντας, ὑπτίαις χερσὶν ὑποδέχεται· ἀδύνατον γὰρ τὸν ἐμὸν ∆εσπότην ψεύσασθαι. Ἤκουσα γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Τὰ ἐκπορευόμενα διὰ τῶν χειλέων μου οὐ μὴ ἀθετήσω. Ὁ οὐρανὸς γὰρ καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσονται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσιν. Ἅπαξ ὤμοσα ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ μου. Ζῶ ἐγὼ, ὃς οὐ βούλομαι τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ. Ἠκούσατε, ὅτι καθ' ἑαυτοῦ ὤμοσεν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο προτρέπομαι πάντας· ∆εῦτε, τέκνα, ἀκούσατέ μου· καὶ ὡς καιρὸν ἔχομεν, ὀξυποδήσωμεν, πρὶν ἐλθεῖν ἡμέραν Κυρίου τὴν μεγάλην· Προφθάσωμεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐν ὁμολογήσει. ∆εῦτε, προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν ἐναντίον Κυρίου τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἡμᾶς. Ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν ἡμᾶς, αὐτὸς Οἰκτειρήσαι ἡμᾶς, καὶ εὐλογήσαι ἡμᾶς, ἐπιφάναι τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐλεήσαι ἡμᾶς· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς τῶν μετανοούντων, αὐτὸς προσδέχεται ἡμᾶς μετανοοῦντας, αὐτὸς καὶ ποιμανεῖ ἡμᾶς· αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος καὶ πᾶσα εὐχαριστία, τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.