The Phrygians were skilled and sophisticated. There was a Hellenistic culture due to Greek occupation and the Greek language was commonly used. Naturally Greek thought, ideas and philosophy would be understood with its metaphysical tendencies. The church there was composed primarily of Gentiles but there was a sizable Jewish community. There were other so-called religions and the Romans were known to tolerate just about every one and incorporate them into their culture. There was idolatry from pagan practices cultivated from their original sources in Babylon. Greeks, in particular, encouraged pursuing knowledge as Paul discovered that "Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness" (1Co 1:22-23). In a down-to-earth way they believed in the worship of nature because, to them, it was the source of life. However, they were also dualistic because they believed that matter and spirit were co-eternal. In the spiritual sense they had their gods who they believed controlled the universe. On the metaphysical level they believed that spirit (represented by God) was good, but that matter, having been only created, was evil. At least they had a suspicion that they were spiritual beings. But since humanity had been in rebellion against God, their spiritual sensitivities could have been just as much from the imaginations of their mind. Ecstatic reveries were practiced to precipitate spiritual experience. They held ceremonies to placate the gods and Paul said "the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons" (1Co 10:20). "For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false" (2Th 2:11).
Some church people may have gotten the idea that it would be more effective to mix the gospel with what the pagan Gentiles already believed so that Christianity would appear more palitable. When Paul was in Athens "some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him" (Ac 17:18). They observed, "'He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities'-because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection" (:18) and said, "'You are bringing strange things to our ears; we want to know therefore what these things mean'" (:20). They "used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new" (:21). But apparently Epaphras believed that merging Greek thought with Christianity was a threat to the church. That's why he went all the way to Rome to get answers from Paul. A warning came that "wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires" (1Ti 4:3). Peter said, "There will be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies" (2Pe 2:1). Paul expressed this concern when he replied in his epistle to the Colossians that "no one may delude you with persuasive argument" (Col 2:4 NASB) "lest any man should beguile you with enticing words" (:4 NKJV). Furthermore, "see to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men" (:8 NASB) "lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit" (:8 NKJV). But combining ideas from different beliefs would become syncretistic. That is why this threat has been dubbed heretical teaching from within that church. It may have "the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion" (Col 2:23) but they are only the "commandments and teachings of men" (:22) resulting in being "inflated without cause by his fleshly mind" (:18).