Ammon’s comment that they relied on “the mercies of the world” indicates that, like the apostles of old, they worked without “purse or scrip.” They depended on those they were teaching to provide food and shelter. But Ammon recognizes that, even in the blessing of food and shelter, they saw Yahweh at work, softening the hearts of householders who fed and sheltered them.
The expectation of generosity was more than a reliance upon a gospel principle, however. In an ancient agricultural community, hospitality was the norm. If Ammon and his brethren had paid for their lodging and food, it would have been a glaring textual anachronism.