When it says that the Bible is “God-breathed,” did the writers see a vision, have a thought, or did God actually speak to them and how?

One of the key verses that we have founded our Q&A group on speaks to the idea of “God-breathed”: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work—Paul, II Timothy 3:16-17. The King James says it this way: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” So what did Paul mean? He was referring to the operation of the Holy Spirit to supernaturally guide and superintend those who authored the documents that became the Bible, and how God conveyed the truths He wanted His people to know and to communicate to the world. Now the Bible contains the works of approximately 40 authors—everyone from kings to priests to shepherds to fishermen—a whole range of people. While God was behind the words they wrote, they still wrote like themselves; in other words, Paul still writes like Paul and Peter like Peter and David like David. Their works still maintain their individual styles, but the Holy Spirit is what makes their words God’s words. When talking about “inspiration,” there are two terms commonly used: “plenary” and “verbal.” Plenary means full or complete, meaning that each book, chapter, and paragraph of the Bible is equally from the mouth of God. Verbal underscores the idea that the wording of the text, as well as the ideas behind that text is supernaturally inspired by God through the operation in the author of the Holy Spirit. Since God is the ultimate source of the Scriptures, that means that the Scriptures are perfect—100% true in everything it says—which is the idea behind the word “inerrancy.”