Three churches struggled to survive. Then one of the churches called a pastor who was extremely gifted. His sermons were relevant and gripping. His personality had the loving compassion of Mother Teresa coupled with the dynamic charisma of Tom Cruise. He could teach in ways that made people hungry for more. People saw God through his ministry.
Folks began to drift and find their way into his church on Sunday. That's where the problems began; the other two pastors met together and decided that surely God was not in such a flamboyant style of ministry. Obviously, he preached a gospel that was false.
Then they remembered a rumor they heard. Was there some kind of sexual indiscretion? Who knows? The rumor spread. People began to wonder. The pastor's family was shamed, and in a short while they left town. Envy found its mark, and it turned two preachers of the truth into liars. Envy made the cross of Jesus Christ a hypocrisy.