You may remember, if you were with us last time, that Paul at the end of chapter 1 has begun to defend his ministry. There were false teachers at Colossae undermining his message, but also assaulting and undermining his ministry. He’s defending himself; he’s continuing to defend his ministry in these first five verses of chapter 2 as well, only now he really seems to bear his heart to us. We get a sense of the burdens that he feels for the Colossian Christians. Here are the priorities that drive him; the great concerns that preoccupy him and for which he struggles so mightily. Verse 1, he says he’s struggling so much on their behalf, the Colossians and for the Laodiceans and for all who have not seen him face to face, he says, “I’m doing that because I want your hearts to be encouraged,” verse 2, “and knit together in love.” But even that is not his ultimate goal. His great priority doesn’t terminate on their encouragement and on their unity, but that is itself a means to a greater end; the greater end being that they may “reach all the riches of the full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of the mystery of God, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Full assurance - that’s the great priority, the great burden of his heart. That’s what he’s struggling for to see realized in the lives of the Colossians and all the churches of the Lycus Valley, the Laodiceans as well. Full assurance.