it when he said that we have been saved ?through faith? (Ephesians 2:8) or how the writer of Hebrews saw it when he wrote ?without faith it is impossible to please God? (Hebrews 11:6). Bell?s view of faith is necessary to his hope that Universalism is correct, but it arises out of distortions of the biblical evidence. Another such distortion is seen in his treatment of Jesus? words on the cross when he prayed for his father to forgive those who crucified him (Luke 23:34). Bell writes that, ?Jesus forgives them all, without their asking for it? (p.188). This is not, however, what the text says, since it records the prayer of Jesus and does not tell us that the people were in fact forgiven (not to mention the addition of the word ?all? which is clearly a nod in the direction of ?Universalism?). Furthermore, in implying that this is evidence for the possibility of forgiveness without faith, Bell neglects the words ?for they know not what they are doing? . The forgiveness for which Jesus prays is for the sin of crucifying an innocent man who was none other than the Son of God. Of the true identity of Jesus the Roman soldiers were ignorant. Jesus was not speaking of forgiveness for all of their sins or for all people but of forgiveness for a specific sin of ignorance on the part of this group of men. Furthermore, Luke?s record of these words is intended to tell us something