“How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me?” Psalm 116:12

It’s Never Too Late to Study God’s Word!

When John Noble walked with the aid of a cane across the platform to receive his diploma, the entire Bethel Seminary St. Paul Class of ’97 stood to recognize his achievement—and the impact of his commitment to Christ on their lives. At 90 years of age, Noble had just completed two years of intensive work to earn his certificate in biblical studies. His philosophy? “It’s never too late to study God’s Word.” Noble was an engineer most of his life, including a stint for the government working on the Titan One and Titan Two missile projects. He also owned and worked a farm in the hills of Tennessee. After his wife Clemmie died, Noble’s niece asked him what he wanted most to do. He had always dreamed of attending seminary and studying the Word of God more deeply, he told her. Without hesitation, she encouraged him to follow his heart’s desire. So it was in the fall of 1995 that Noble left Tennessee, took an apartment on Bethel’s St. Paul campus, and began his studies at Bethel Seminary.

Before long Noble became a familiar and beloved face within the Bethel community. Some were surprised that a person his age would pursue a seminary degree, but their wonder soon gave way to admiration. His perseverance and his passion to learn about the Lord motivated many of his fellow seminarians to re-examine their own levels of commitment to ministry and to studying the Bible.

Commitment Inspiring Commitment

Of particular interest to Noble was Bethel’s growing population of international students. His heart went out to those who had, at great financial and emotional sacrifice, left family and friends to seek the training they needed to effectively communicate the Word of God in their own cultures. In their lives Noble saw a commitment that he believed rivaled his own.
So moved was he that Noble contributed more than $16,000 to establish a scholarship for international seminary students at Bethel, and promised to increase that amount with a gift in his will. Noble died in December 1999, leaving $273,000 from the sale of his farm to supplement his original gift. Now each year more than $17,000 is disbursed in tuition assistance for international students as a result of Noble’s generosity.

“ Those two years at Bethel were the best years of my life,” Noble told his family. Now, through his will, Noble has made it possible for the international students so dear to his heart to experience some “best years” of their own in training for ministry. Because of one man’s selflessness, these citizens of the globe will study God’s Word at Bethel and then return to their home countries to reach—and teach—their peoples for the kingdom.

James Spickelmier is associate vice president for seminary development, Bethel Seminary St. Paul.