Theologian Justo Gonzalez will speak about the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts on Sunday and on Feb. 24 in Rome First United Methodist Church’s Wilder Center.

The free events are scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. and are open to the public.

Gonzalez is a Cuban American retired professor and is known as the leading voice in Hispanic theology.

The Rev. David Campbell at Rome’s Trinity United Methodist Church made what he describes as a time-consuming effort to get Gonzalez to speak in Rome.

“Gonzalez is one of the most widely-respected Biblical theologians,” Campbell said. “I’ve been trying to get him to come on and off for years because he is brilliant and dedicated. It is going to be a great honor to hear him speak at First United Methodist Church.”

Pastor Chris Barbieri of First United Methodist Church also admires Gonzalez’s work.

“He dedicated his life learning about the Bible,” Barbieri said. “A lot of mistakes Christians make is picking and choosing scriptures to pay attention to. In doing that, we lose perspective of the larger message. An event like this featuring a true scholar like Justo Gonzalez can help people with questions see the bigger picture and it’s always great to hear a fresh voice.”

For more information call First United Methodist Church at 706-291-8590.