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For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 1 Cor 1:21
Let us examine the first mentions of the pulpit in church history. In Nehemiah 8:4,
So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
It is one of the earliest recorded instances of a raised platform for public reading and exposition of scripture. In the New Testament, Jesus often read in synagogues that had designated places for the reading of the Scriptures. As the early church grew, they had gatherings in homes, with no formal pulpit.
As churches moved into designated buildings, there emerged a need for a place for Scripture reading and preaching. During the 4th century to around the 15th century, pulpits had special significance in the place of worship. It developed as a raised ornate platform, usually made of stone or wood, for the preaching of God’s Word.
After the reformation, protestant reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, and others centralized the pulpit in the church architecture – symbolizing the importance and supremacy of God’s Word in the worship. It became a theological statement – Scripture alone (sola scriptura) – which became the foundation of faith and practice.
Pulpit is a radical declaration, symbolizing the authority of God’s word over every other activity in the church. Though there are pulpits today in our sanctuaries, the essence of it, the authority of it, and the supremacy of it are downgraded by other things, as the less significant things are prioritized over the Word of God. The call to the pulpit is a call to clarity, courage, and conviction in the preaching of the Word of God as it is. Yes, the pulpit matters today.