The church had a doubt in its heart.
Cause him to doubt. Cause him to be in doubt. Question: Challenge his confidence.
("Therefore the wise men warned the late Rabbis to calculate the summers and the times for the coming of the Messiah, lest the crowd should be deceived and doubt should arise in their hearts when that time comes and the Messiah does not come" - Harambam/ Igeret Teman translated by R. Shaych Ibn Tibbon, 421)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
הִכְנִיס סָפֵק לְלִבּוֹ
Definition (Hebrew)
גָּרַם לוֹ לְפַקְפֵּק. הֵבִיא לְכָךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּסָפֵק. בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: עִרְעֵר אֶת הַבִּטָּחוֹן שֶׁלּוֹ.
("וְלָזֶה הִזְהִירוּ הַחֲכָמִים זַ"ל מְחַשֵּׁב קֵיצִים וּמְמַנּוֹת זְמַנִּים לְבִיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיַּכְשִׁיל הֶהָמוֹן וְיַכְנִיס סָפֵק בְּלִבָּם כְּשֶׁיָּבוֹא הַזְּמַן הַהוּא וְלֹא בָּא הַמָּשִׁיחַ"- הָרַמְבָּ"ם/ אִגֶּרֶת תֵּימָן בְּתַרְגּוּם ר"ש אִבְּן תִּבּוֹן, 421)