Today we observe the “Ides of March” made famous by the death of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. and its portrayal in the Shakespearean play named after him. Yes, today’s quote is not from the Bible, but like other Shakespeare quotes it has been known to be confused with Biblical text.

“Beware the Ides of March” – Julius Caesar, Act 1, Scene 2, William Shakespeare

Death of Caesar Famous Painting by Vincenzo Camuccini in 1798

The word “ides” comes from the ancient Roman calendar dating as far back as 753 B.C. The Romans had three reference points for each month known as the Kalends, the Nones and the Ides. The Kalends was the first day of the month, the Nones was either the fifth or seventh or day depending on the month, and the Ides was the halfway point within the month. With the advent of the Julian calendar in 46 B.C. the Romans were using a 365 day year, with 12 months much like the Gregorian calendar we use today. March had 31 days in 44 B.C. and so the “Ides of March” fell on the 15th day of the month.

In the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar, Caesar was warned by a soothsayer of his impending doom on the Ides of March. He dismissed the warning as idle chatter to his own peril. History records the death of Julius Caesar more accurately, but in both accounts, it is his close friend Brutus who betrays him. Here is the dialog from the play Julius Caesar Act 1 Scene 2.

SOOTHSAYER: Caesar!

CAESAR: Ha! who calls?

CASCA: Bid every noise be still: peace yet again!

CAESAR: Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, Cry ‘Caesar!’ Speak; Caesar is turn’d to hear.

SOOTHSAYER: Beware the ides of March.

CAESAR: What man is that?

BRUTUS: A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.

CAESAR: Set him before me; let me see his face.

CASSIUS: Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.

CAESAR: What say’st thou to me now? speak once again.

SOOTHSAYER: Beware the ides of March.

CAESAR: He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass.

Julius Caesar Act 1, scene 2, 15-28

Enjoy the Ides of March, nothing to beware today. And if you like Shakespeare, here are some William Shakespeare Quotes to enjoy.

As Christians we are taught to be meek and humble, but are there times when the Bible tells us that we should be bold?

“Boldness be my friend!” – Bible or Not?

I thought we were to approach God with humility, after all, the Bible describes us as only being dust. And when Job contended with God, he concluded, “Behold, I am vile”, and that he was not justified to question God. So could it be true that the Bible encourages us to be bold with God?

Let us therefore come boldly [with boldness] to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

Yes, if God is our Father, then we can and should be bold with Him. But let’s be clear on the meaning of “boldness” and not confuse it with forcefulness or arrogance. The word “boldly” in this verse from the book of Hebrews is transliterated as “with boldness”. The definition from Strong’s Greek Lexicon is:

BOLDLY, i.e. WITH BOLDNESS
1) freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech
          a) openly, frankly, i.e without concealment
          b) without ambiguity or circumlocution
          c) without the use of figures and comparisons
2) free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance

Now that we understand the definition of boldness, let’s also understand the context.

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV

It is only because of Jesus that we can approach God with boldness, so in this case, yes Boldness be my friend! However, this quote is NOT found in the Bible – today’s quote was penned by none other than William Shakespeare in the play Cymbeline.

More Shakespeare quotes…

In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is quoted as saying:

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. – Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

I wonder if Bible or Not by any other name would be as much fun? What if we called it “The Word of God, or Is It”? How about “Biblical Quotes or Otherwise”? What about other languages? Ahhh, that could be fun… OK, here is “Bible or Not” in a variety of languages.

• Biblia o no – Bible or Not in Spanish

• Bijbel of niet – Bible or Not in Dutch

• Bible ou pas -  Bible or Not in French

• Bibel oder nicht – Bible or Not in German

• Βίβλος ή όχι – Bible or Not in Greek

• Bibbia oppure no – Bible or Not in Italian

• 聖書またはない – Bible or Not in Japanese

• 성경 또는 아닙니다 – Bible or Not in Korean

• A Bíblia ou não – Bible or Not in Portuguese

• Библия или не – Bible or Not in Russian

• 聖經 – Bible or Not in Chinese Traditional

• 圣经 – Bible or Not in Chinese Simple