276 MARIAM J. KAMELL I. James’ Theo-logy James cautions his audience in Jas 1,16: “Do not be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters”. This warning reflects back upon the previous pericope’s warning against the temptation to blame God for one’s own sin, but it also points forward to the reality of God’s nature as the source of every good gift. This first of the self-deception warnings stems from James’s concern that his audience correctly understand God’s character, God’s nature as generous and pure, and his role as Judge. Tangentially, James’s introduction, combined with his integration of Jesus’ teaching, reveals James to have a high view of Jesus as the Christ and divine, and as such his moral teaching is heavily dependent upon Jesus’ teaching. That, however, is well covered by others and not the focus of this paper 10. James begins the epistle with encouragement in time of trials, con- cluding : “But if any of you lacks in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God, who gives to all generously and without begrudging, and it will be given to him” (1,5). This last verse gives us a crucial insight into the au- thor’s understanding of God. He calls God toy didontov ueoy, using ˜ ¥ ˜ the descriptive participle as the very title of God and making it absolutely clear that this generosity is a primary and repeated trait of God. Also, instead of qualifying an elite group as the recipients of this generosity, James specifies that God gives to everyone (pasin) generously. The term ˜ aplwv, here translated as “generously” could also mean something more Ω˜ like “single-mindedly” 11, an idea which makes a great deal of sense in contrast with the “double-minded” person about to appear in 1,7, a person presented as the antithesis of all that God is and wants 12. God does not second-guess his generosity; he does not waver or doubt. In this regard his character might be called “simple”: he gives generously and without reservation, doubt, or hesitation. Depending on how one translates this term, it can support the image of God’s purity of will as well as his liber- ality. Regardless, James makes it clear that God gives to anyone who asks without stinting. As if that were not enough, James then adds that God gives “without reproach”. This phrase not only expands the picture of R. BAUCKHAM, James. Wisdom of James, Disciple of Jesus the Sage 10 (London 1999); W.H. WACHOB, The Voice of Jesus in the Social Rhetoric of James (SNTSMS 106; Cambridge 2000); J.S. KLOPPENBORG, “The Emulation of the Jesus Tradition in the Letter of James”, Reading James with New Eyes. Methodological Reassessments of the Letter of James (eds. R.L. Webb – J.S. Kloppenborg) (London 2007) 121-150. MOO, James, 59. 11 It (aplwv) could also mean “sincerely, without hesitation”. Cf. Ω˜ 12 P.H. DAVIDS, The Epistle of James (NIGTC ; Grand Rapids, MI 1982) 72-73.